Formulating solutions
The mathematician George Pólya popularized heuristics in the mid–20th century, in his book How to Solve It. He learned mathematical proofs as a student but he did not know, nor was he taught, the ways mathematicians arrived at such proofs. How to Solve It is a collection of ideas about heuristics that he taught to mathematics students – ways of looking at problems and formulating solutions.
- If you are having difficulty understanding a problem, try drawing a picture.
- If you can't find a solution, try assuming that you have a solution and seeing what you can derive from that ("working backward").
- If the problem is abstract, try examining a concrete example.
- Try solving a more general problem first (the "inventor's paradox": the more ambitious plan may have more chances of success).
Drawing the Client Picture
- Draw the picture to understand what problems we are trying to solve.
- Draw the picture to understand the business challenges and how to confront them.
- Draw the picture to understand what is lacking in ones business to understand how to fill a need.
- Draw the picture to make sure that everyone has a better sense of what we’re trying to accomplish. The Client of my Client is our Client.
Clientosophy
The Client of my Client is our Client.
Clientnomics
How can we assist our Clients to supply what their clients and employees demand?
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