In today’s world, artificial intelligence has transformed the way we face and solve problems.
A prominent example is ChatGPT, a powerful tool that can be your ally in dealing with various challenging situations. In this article, we’ll explore eight different approaches that will allow you to make the most of AI to solve complex problems in various areas. From analyzing root causes to designing growth strategies, these techniques will make you an expert problem solver. Join us on a journey through the historical origin of each technique, real examples of its application, and how to implement them with ChatGPT to reach heroic levels of problem solving. Read on to find out how to go from 0 to hero in a matter of minutes!
Technique of the Five Whys
Historical Origin: The Five Whys technique was developed by Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota Industries, as part of the Toyota Production System. He sought to address problems in automobile production through in-depth root cause analysis.
Application Example: Imagine that in an electronics factory, a defect is detected in a batch of devices. Rather than simply fixing the defect, the Five Whys technique would probe into the reasons behind the problem, asking “why?” the defect happened repeatedly all the way to the root, like a problem on the assembly line.
Prompt: “Act as a root cause analyst. He begins by identifying the problem related to (topic). Now, I asked ‘why?’ this problem exists. Repeat the question ‘why?’ four more times, going deeper into each layer to discover the root cause. He summarizes his findings and suggests possible solutions.”
TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
Historical Origin: Developed by Genrich Altshuller and his colleagues in the former Soviet Union in the 1940s, TRIZ relies on the study of patents and innovative solutions to identify common patterns and principles that can be applied to a wide range of problems.
Application Example: Imagine that you are working on the design of a new communication device. Using TRIZ, you would identify contradictions, such as increasing the transmission speed while reducing the size of the device. TRIZ suggests inventive principles, such as “transition to a higher level” (eg using more advanced technologies) to resolve these contradictions.
Prompt: “He acts like an inventive problem solver. Use TRIZ principles to systematically solve problems related to (theme). Identifies contradictions and applies inventive principles to resolve them. Describe your steps and findings, explaining how the TRIZ methodology was applied.
Estructura Job-To-Be-Done
Historical Origin: The Job-To-Be-Done structure was popularized by Clayton Christensen in his book “The Innovator’s Solution.” It is based on the idea that customers do not buy products, but solutions for specific tasks that they need to perform.
Application Example: Let’s say you’re developing a new productivity app. Applying the Job-To-Be-Done structure implies understanding that users could be “hiring” your application to manage complex tasks in work teams. You would design the app around the real needs and challenges users face when performing these tasks.
Prompt: “Act as a customer persuasion specialist. Browse (topic) through the Job-To-Be-Done structure, exploring the underlying ‘jobs’ that customers are ‘hiring’ for the product or service to be performed. It details the needs, contexts and pain points of the client. Propose alignment strategies to fulfill these ‘jobs’”.
Ishikawa Diagram (Fishbone Diagram)
Historical Origin: Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, a quality control expert, developed this approach in the 1960s. He sought to visualize the multiple causes that contribute to a problem, making it easier to identify root causes and resolve them.
Application Example: Imagine that in a restaurant, there are constant complaints about the inconsistent quality of the dishes. An Ishikawa diagram would help identify causes such as poor-quality ingredients, staff training issues, and worn-out kitchen equipment. Each branch of the diagram would represent a category of causes to investigate.
Prompt: “Act as a quality improvement specialist. He creates an Ishikawa diagram to explore the causes of a problem related to (topic). He breaks down each main branch into finer details, exploring root causes and relationships. He provides information on possible solutions and preventive measures ”.
Zwicky Box (Morphological Analysis)
Historical Origin: Developed by Swiss physicist Fritz Zwicky in the 1960s, this technique seeks to generate and explore multiple combinations of solutions to a problem, encouraging creative thinking and idea generation.
Application Example: Suppose you are designing a new electric car. Using a Zwicky box would involve defining key dimensions such as motor type, battery capacity, exterior design, etc. By combining different options within these dimensions, unique and diverse ideas are generated for the final design.
Prompt: “He acts as an analyst of complex systems. Use a Zwicky box to systematically explore all possible solutions for (topic). It defines dimensions, attributes and interactions within the system. Explain how you developed the combinations and their relevance to (theme).”
Affinity Diagram
Historical Origin: The affinity diagram was developed by Jiro Kawakita in the 1960s. It was inspired by the categorization theory of the human mind and is used to organize and group ideas, furthering understanding and generating solutions.
Application Example: Imagine you are leading a brainstorming session to improve customer satisfaction at a retail store. Using an affinity diagram, you would classify the ideas into groups such as “Store Experience”, “Customer Service”, “Product Variety”, etc. This would allow a more structured vision of the challenges and opportunities.
Prompt: “He acts like an organizational psychologist. Organize ideas related to (topic) in an affinity diagram. Group concepts by natural relationships, providing explanations for each category. He discusses groupings and how they provide a coherent understanding of (subject)”.
Ansoff matrix
Historical Origin: The Ansoff Matrix was developed by Igor Ansoff in 1957. It is a widely used tool in business strategy to explore growth options through market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.
Application Example: Suppose you are the marketing manager of a technology company. Using the Ansoff matrix, you would evaluate the possibility of launching a new product in an existing market (product development) or expanding into a foreign market (market development) to increase revenue.
Prompt: “He acts as a growth strategist. Use the Ansoff matrix to explore growth strategies for (topic). Evaluates opportunities for market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. Explain the rationale for each strategy and propose an implementation plan.
Impact/Effort Matrix
Historical Origin: The Impact/Effort Matrix, also known as the Eisenhower Matrix, is attributed to the former President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although originally applied to time management, the concept of it has expanded to decision making and project management.
Application Example: Imagine that you are part of a team that must prioritize new features for a mobile application. Using the Impact/Effort matrix, you would evaluate each feature based on its potential impact (such as appeal to users) and the effort required (such as time and resources). This would help you decide which features to implement first.
Prompt: “Act as a project management expert. Plot ideas related to (theme) on an impact/effort matrix. Analyze the strategies that should be prioritized, considering both their potential impact and the effort required. It provides a systematic plan of execution, including risk assessment.
