A WORTHWHILE PROBLEM IN INNOVATION

Phuoc D. Nguyen

To seek out and identify a worthwhile problem that innovation leaders should first review the context, affection, correlation, and symptoms of the problem. However, to look for a real problem that is uneasy, leaders should understand the broader problem and analyze its symptoms to find out the exact problem. Michalko (2006) indicated “Unless you set your business problems down in writing, your attention is constantly shifting and you become indecisive about what, if anything, you should focus on. Listing problems is a way for you to decide which ones are worth solving.” (Loc. 557 & 560). Leaders should figure out symptoms; explore the problem’s negative effects; and identify the problem’s influence, emergency, and priority levels to handle each symptom. Oster (2011) proposed “Successful innovation leaders expressly permit others at various levels of the hierarchy to share ownership of problems-in effect, to take possession of a situation.” (Loc. 2740). We can classify problem categories based on various levels of the hierarchy, management systems, leadership, management, functions, operations, and processes. Hurmelinna-Laukkanen and Heiman (2011) defined “Processes that enable a firm to overcome biases and find relevant and valuable problems for solving can be categorized as primary either analytic or synthetic processes: taking deductive steps is a characteristic of analytic processes” (p. 241). We can apply the brainstorming technique, interview, and questionnaire to investigate symptoms and aim to find out the exact problems. Leaders should fully describe symptoms and redefine the problem because more symptoms are found that help leaders clarify what the real problem is.