Thread by @ayooladejo

Problems are usually systemic and require digging deep for a sustainable solution. A short thread of how I learned to approach problems in a different way.
I will give some examples from work, study and an interview.
#SystemsThinking

When I joined Vmobile in 2005, one of my bosses was an Afrikaner man from SA. People didn’t like him. He was hectic. Once he is coming to your desk, it is stress as something is most likely not working well. We were in the unit that gave you SMS, MMS, WAP, GPRS and other VAS.

One day, he asked why I think he always came to me about problems on the services my unit was responsible for, and not my immediate senior. We handled GPRS, WAP, MMS and portals. I said maybe because I was the easy target. My immediate senior once wanted to beat this guy lol.

He said no. And that he feels I have the potential to do great stuff but that I will only do that if I improve my problem solving skills. He said I am always trying to solve the technical problems by just fixing the problem. He advised me to start looking at the causes.

So, instead of restarting the Apache service and fixing a script every time, why not trace the real reason the service was failing. And that was how I became a champion trouble shooter. Collecting logs, analyzing, going deep into the real issues including taking to other teams.

He taught me to look beyond my system when fixing issues. I started realizing the problem many times come from capacity issues from ISPs, or even applications managed by other teams. And I learned to show proof to those. We fix issues better that way permanently.

A guy we didn’t really liked taught me that lesson and it stuck with me till today. And that is what I also try to teach people I mentor about problem solving. That brings me to how I realized it was a real think academically during my MBA.

The university of Stellenbosch MBA changed my life in many ways. The leadership module was the best part for me. One of the sections dealt with systems thinking. I have not stopped reading about this concept till date. And when people try to solve problems without …

Solving problems without looking at the whole system irritates me because I know it is a sham. How do you solve the education problem without thinking about poverty, conducive environment etc. and how can you solve problems without having a proper phased approach.

Phased approach that eventually leads you from your current reality to the ideal future. Never a straight arrow but a long winding journey that is arduous.
I learned that in business school. I leaned to lead people better. Learned complex change management and dealing with it.

Those lessons were practical for me as I got to use them at work and in my business, even at home and church. The ability to break down complexity into manageable bits is a super hero. Learn to do it.

Now let’s talk about an interview process I enjoyed. It didn’t end in an offer due to an emotional matter but story for another day. But I enjoyed the process. Someone I became friends with, a year ahead of me in Business school worked for Bain and said I would do well there.

I thought he was a bit old to join Bain when he did after the MBA. But he rocked it. So, I said let me see too. I was 34 and didn’t see how I could do those crazy schedules required there lol. But I applied all the same hoping I won’t get a call.

The call came and I didn’t the first screening test. Passed. And this wonderful Nigerian working in the Joburg office reached out to help me prepare. Another NGR lady in that office was introduced by other mutual friends, but she never responded lol. Another later story.

So the relevant thing is we did some case practice. And my favorite was the Saudi electricity one. Saudi was using too much electricity and they wanted to reduce it as the source was fossil. What intrigued me was that instead of just thinking Solar, there was a low hanging fruit

My brain was though, they had so much sun, why not move to Solar? But then I looked at the numbers and Air conditioners were the biggest culprits in homes. So, what is the first best solution? Check power ratings on the ACs. Look for newer ACs with lower power ratings.

See if a 3 year program to replace those can bring real changes. And truly, my guide told me that was they did. The savings in energy cost of a couple of years was big enough for government to ask everyone to change their ACs.
Doesn’t mean solar isn’t a next phase.

That interview process, preparing for the case studies etc improved my problem solving skills. The decision tree thinking is a crazy thing. And so, it is easy to think problem solving and then execution. Combining both is important.

Ended up being a longer thread than I planned.
I just want to encourage young professionals. It is important to dig deeper at work. Stop looking for the easy way out. Invest in systems thinking knowledge and also put in the work. It is sometimes gutter work but do it.

It is a very tough time these days. But those with certain skill sets, especially problem solving will alway get opportunities. The ability to deal with complexity can never be underrated.
I see young developers not willing to learn first principles. Dangerous.

I see people in commercial roles but willing to go the extra mile to understand the problem statement and going deep to carve a systemic approach to solving the problem.
Aspire to be the best. It is possible.
Cheers.

*did the first screening test. Passed