problem solving flowchart did you mess with it

Problem solving flowchart

Thursday 8 April 2004 — This is 20 years old. Be careful.

Sue just reminded me of this old classic: Problem Solving Flowchart . Note: there are other versions that say “did you mess with it”, but they’re just missing the point.

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Digital Excursions

Into computer programming and web design, content menu, support menu, computer humor: problem solving and blame avoidance flowchart.

One item that I recently pulled from my collection of ancient photocopied humor was the Problem Solving Flowchart . I really couldn't post it here without cleaning up the language. As long as I was changing it, I thought why not rewrite it to give the poor programmer a break. You see in the original version if you broke "it" and couldn't blame anyone else you got stuck in an infinite " you poor fool " loop, although fool wasn't the descriptive term used in the original. I also modified the chart to use standard flowchart iconography. For example the original used a box rather than a diamond for decision points.

So here is my own G-rated Problem Solving and Blame Avoidance Flowchart where all roads lead to a happy ending.

Return to the Humor section index.

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Problem Solving Flowchart

Created on July 27, 2023

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PROBLEM SOLVING FLOWCHART

DOES THE THING WORK?

DON'T MESS WITH IT

DID YOU MESS WITH IT?

WILL YOU GET INTO TROUBLE FOR IT?

DOES ANYONE KNOW?

CAN YOU BLAME ANYONE ELSE?

YOU POOR FOOL!

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What is a Problem-Solving Flowchart & How to Make One

By Danesh Ramuthi , Aug 10, 2023

Problem-Solving Flowcharts, contrary to what many believe aren’t just aesthetic wonders — they’re almost like magical blueprints for troubleshooting those pesky problems that many of us face.

Flowcharts take business challenges and turn them into a navigable pathway. In this post, I will guide you on key aspects of problem-solving flowcharts such as what it is, the advantages of problem-solving flowcharts, how to create one and more.

Besides, you’ll also discover how to create problem-solving flowcharts with the help of Venngage’s Flowchart Maker.

And for those of you thinking, “I’m no designer, how can I create one?” worry not! I’ve got you covered. Just hop on Venggage’s Flowchart Templates and you’ll be charting your way to problem-solving glory in no time.

Click to jump ahead:

What are problem-solving flowcharts?

When to use problem-solving flowcharts, what are the advantages of flowcharts in problem-solving, what are the 7 steps of problem-solving flowcharts.

• 5 different types of problem-solving flowcharts

Best practices for designing effective problem-solving flowcharts

How to make a flowchart using venngage , problem-solving flowcharts faqs.

• Final Thoughts

Problem-Solving Flowcharts is a graphical representation used to break down problem or process into smaller, manageable parts, identify the root causes and outline a step-by-step solution. 

It helps in visually organizing information and showing the relationships between various parts of the problem.

This type of flowcharts consists of different symbols and arrows, each representing different components or steps in the problem-solving process. 

By following the flow of the chart, individuals or teams can methodically approach problem, analyze different aspects of it and come to a well-informed solution.

Problem-Solving Flowcharts is a versatile tool that can be used in various scenarios. Here’s when to consider utilizing one:

• Complex Problems: When faced with a multifaceted issue that involves multiple steps or variables, flowcharts can help break down the complexity into digestible parts.
• Team Collaboration: If you’re working with a team and need a common understanding of problem and its potential solutions then a flowchart provides a visual that everyone can refer to.
• Analyzing Processes: In a situation where you need to understand a particular process, whether it’s within a project or a part of regular operations then mapping it out in a flowchart can offer clarity.
• Decision Making: When various paths or decisions might be taken, a flowchart can outline the potential outcomes of each aiding in making an informed choice.
• Training and Onboarding: Flowcharts can be used in training materials to help new employees understand complex processes or procedures which makes the learning curve smoother.
• Identifying Root Causes: If you’re looking to identify the underlying causes of problem then a flowchart can facilitate a systematic approach to reaching the root of the issue.

Related: How to Use Fishbone Diagrams to Solve Complex Problems

Problem-solving flowcharts can offer several benefits to the users who are looking to solve a particular problem. Few advantages of flowcharts in problem solving are: 

Visual Clarity

When you’re dealing with multifaceted problems or processes, words alone can make the situation seem even more tangled. Flowcharts distill these complexities into easily understandable visual elements. 

By mapping out each phase or component of problem, flowcharts offer a bird’s eye view enabling individuals to grasp the bigger picture and the finer details simultaneously.

Sequential Representation

Flowcharts excel in laying out the sequence of events or actions. By indicating a clear starting point and illustrating each subsequent step, they guide users through a process or solution path methodically. 

This linear representation ensures that no step is overlooked and each is executed in the right order.  

Collaboration

Problem-solving often requires team effort and flowcharts are instrumental in fostering collaborative environments. 

When a team is discussing potential solutions or trying to understand problem’s intricacies, a flowchart serves as a collective reference point. 

It aids in synchronizing everyone’s understanding, minimizing miscommunications and promoting constructive discussions. 

Read more about: Flowcharts Symbols and Meaning

1. Define the Problem  

Before anything else, it’s essential to articulate the problem or task you want to solve clearly and accurately. By understanding exactly what needs to be addressed you can ensure that subsequent steps align with the core issue.

2. Identify the Inputs and Outputs  

Determine what inputs (such as data, information or resources) will be required to solve the problem and what the desired outputs or outcomes are. Identifying these factors will guide you in structuring the steps needed to reach the end goal and ensure that all necessary resources are at hand.

3. Identify the Main Steps  

Break down the problem-solving process into its main steps or subtasks. This involves pinpointing the essential actions or stages necessary to reach the solution. Create a roadmap that helps in understanding how to approach the problem methodically.

4. Use Decision Symbols  

In problem-solving, decisions often lead to different paths or outcomes. Using standard symbols to represent these decision points in the flowcharts allows for a clear understanding of these critical junctures. It helps visually present various scenarios and their consequences.

5. Add Descriptions and Details  

A well-designed flowcharts is concise but clear in its labeling. Using arrows and short, descriptive phrases to explain what happens at each step or decision point ensures that the flowcharts communicates the process without unnecessary complexity. 

6. Revise and Refine  

Creating a flowcharts is not always a one-and-done process. It may require revisions to improve its clarity, accuracy or comprehensiveness. Necessary refinement ensures that the flowcharts precisely reflects the problem-solving process and is free from errors or ambiguities.

7. Use Flowchart Tool  

While it’s possible to draw a flowcharts manually, using a flowcharts tool like Venngage’s Flowchart Maker and Venngage’s Flowchart Templates can make the process more efficient and flexible. These tools come with pre-designed templates and intuitive interfaces that make it easy to create, modify and share flowcharts. 

5 different types of problem-solving flowcharts 

Let’s have a look at 5 most common types of flowcharts that individuals and organizations often use. 

1. Process Flowchart s

A process flowcharts is a visual representation of the sequence of steps and decisions involved in executing a particular process or procedure. 

It serves as a blueprint that showcases how different stages or functions are interconnected in a systematic flow and it highlights the direction of the process from its beginning to its end.

Process flowcharts are instrumental in training and onboarding, sales process , process optimization, documentation, recruitment and in any scenario where clear communication of a process is crucial.

2. Flowcharts Infographic 

A flowcharts infographic is a great way to showcase the process or a series of steps using a combination of graphics, icons, symbols and concise text. It aims to communicate complex information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, making it a popular tool for conveying information, data and instructions in a visually engaging way.

For example, you can use this flowchart to illustrate a health insurance process that visually explains the steps involved from finding a provider to paying for your healthcare provider. 

3. Circular Flowcharts

A circular flowcharts is used to illustrate the flow of information, goods, services or money within a closed system or process. It gets its name from its circular shape, which emphasizes the continuous and cyclical nature of the flow. 

Circular flowcharts are widely used in various fields such as economics, business, engineering and process management to help visualize and understand complex systems.

In a circular flowcharts , elements are represented using various shapes and connected with arrows to indicate the direction of flow. The circular arrangement indicates that the process is ongoing and repeats itself over time.

4. Swimlane flowcharts

Swimlane flowcharts , also known as cross-functional flowcharts are a specific type of flowchart that organizes the process flow into lanes or “swimlanes.” 

Each lane represents a different participant or functional area involved in the process and the flowchart shows how activities or information move between these participants. 

Swimlane flowcharts are particularly useful for illustrating complex processes that involve multiple stakeholders or departments.

In a swimlane flowcharts, the process is divided horizontally into lanes and each lane is labeled with the name of the department, person or role responsible for that part of the process. Vertically, the flowchart displays the sequence of steps or actions taken in the process.

5. Decision Flowchart s

Decision flowcharts, also known as decision trees or flow diagrams are graphical representations that illustrate the process of making decisions or solving problems. 

They are widely used in various fields such as computer science, business mapping , engineering and problem-solving scenarios. 

Decision flowcharts help break down complex decision-making processes into simple, sequential steps, making it easier to understand and follow.

A decision tree is a specialized flowchart used to visually represent the process of decision-making. 

Businesses and other individuals can employ a decision tree analysis as a tool to aid in evaluating different options and the possible consequences associated with each choice.

Decision trees Infographics can be used to create a more nuanced type of flowchart that is more informative and visually appealing by combining a decision flowchart and the flowchart infographic. 

Decision flowcharts are valuable tools for visualizing decision-making processes, analyzing complex problems and communicating them effectively to others.

Designing effective problem-solving flowcharts involves careful consideration of various factors to ensure clarity, accuracy and usability. Here are some best practices to create efficient and useful problem-solving flowcharts:

• Understand the problem first & clearly define it
• Keep it simple
• Use standard & recognizable symbols
• Ensure that the flowchart follows a logical and sequential order
• Clearly label each decision point, action and outcome
• Verify the flowchart’s accuracy by testing it
• Clearly state the decision criteria that lead to different branches
• Provide context when the flowchart is part of a larger process or system
• Review and revise the flowchart

Creating problem-solving flowchart on Venngage is incredibly simple. All you have to do is:

• Start by Signing Up and Creating an Account with Venngage
• Choose a flowchart template that best suits your needs from our library.
• Start editing your flowchart by choosing the desired shapes, labels and colors.
• You can also enhance your flowchart by incorporating icons, illustrations or backgrounds all of which are readily available in our library.
• Once done, you will have 2 options to choose from, either sharing it online for free or downloading your flowchart to your desktop by subscribing to the Premium or Business Plan. 

Is flowchart the representation of problem solutions?

Flowcharts are not the representation of problem solutions per se; rather, they are a visual representation of processes, decision-making steps and actions taken to arrive at a solution to problem.

What are the 3 basic structures of flowcharts?

3 Basic Structures of Flowcharts are:

• Sequence: Simplify Complexity
• Selection (Decision): Embrace Choices
• Repetition (Loop): Emphasize Iteration

What are the elements of a good flowchart?

A good flowchart should exhibit clarity and simplicity, using consistent symbols and labels to depict a logical sequence of steps. It should be readable, with appropriate white space to avoid clutter while eliminating ambiguity through well-defined decision criteria and paths.

Can flowcharts be used for both simple and complex problem-solving?

Yes, flowcharts can be used for both simple and complex problem-solving scenarios. Flowcharts are versatile visual tools that can effectively represent various processes, decision-making steps and problem-solving approaches regardless of their complexity.

In both cases, flowcharts offer a systematic and visual means of organizing information, identifying potential problems and facilitating collaboration among team members.

Can problem-solving flowcharts be used in any industry or domain?

Problem-solving flowcharts can be used in virtually any industry or domain. The versatility and effectiveness of flowcharts make them applicable to a wide range of fields such as Business and Management, Software Development and IT, Healthcare, Education, Finance, Marketing & Sales and a lot more other industries. 

Final thoughts

Problem-solving flowcharts are a valuable and versatile tool that empowers individuals and teams to tackle complex problems with clarity and efficiency.

By visually representing the step-by-step process of identifying, analyzing and resolving issues, flowcharts serve as navigational guides simplifying intricate challenges into digestible parts.

With the aid of modern tools like Venngage’s Flowchart Maker and Venngage’s Flowchart Templates , designing impactful flowcharts becomes accessible to all while revolutionizing the way problems are approached and solved.

How to create a problem-solving flow chart

Problem-solving is one of those topics that we’ve often discussed on this site (check out our Problem Solving guide ). We think it’s one of  THE  vital skills of business. Why? Because you’ll come across problems every day, and you need to arm yourself with the right tools to solve them.

A problem-solving flowchart is one of those tools. It’ll help you take a problem statement, break the problem down into likely causes helping you get to the bottom of what’s gone wrong.

In this post, we’ll cover

• What is a Problem Solving Flow Chart
• How to create a Problem Solving flow chart
• Example 1 of Problem Solving flow chart
• Example 2 of Problem Solving Flow chart
• What flow chart shapes to use
• When should you use a flow chart
• 7 tips on creating your Problem Solving chart

Key Benefits & Likely issues with the tool

Let’s get started!

What is a Problem Solving Flowchart

A Problem Solving flow chart is a diagram that uses shapes, arrows, and text to show a moving sequence of actions and/or activities that help solve a problem.  

How to create a Problem Solving flowchart

• Describe your problem.
• Pose Yes/No Questions that can help identify the cause of the problem
• Question each stage of the process until it is fully examined
• Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you have identified a solution
• Try the solution; if it is successful in addressing the root cause, then you’ve fixed your problem. If not, repeat the process until you have a solution that works.

A problem-solving flowchart attempts to identify a root cause/solution to the trigger that is causing the problem allowing you to change the process and prevent the problem from occurring. 

Let’s now demonstrate the effectiveness of a problem solving flowchart by showing some examples.

Example 1 Problem solving flow chart

In our first example, we’re going to start with something simple to show you the principle of the tool.

We have been given a cup of tea and we don’t like it!  

Let’s use a problem-solving flow chart to find out what’s gone wrong.

We’ve used Excel to capture this flow chart using flowchart shapes (insert –> shapes), you can, of course, use other applications to do this, you don’t’ have to have specialized flow chart software to do this. ( there’s a great flowchart in Excel video here ). Or you can simply use a pen and paper.

Use a rectangle and add your problem statement.

Remember to keep your problem statement unambiguous and straightforward. Here we’ve used “I don’t like my cup of tea.”

Now that we’ve got our problem statement, we’re going to start asking questions.

We’re going to examine the variables that go into a cup of tea in an attempt to find out what’s gone wrong.

** TIP** – Work through your process – rather than start from scratch, if you have a documented process, work through that examining each step to ascertain if there are issues. If not, you might find it useful to research and sketch out the process before starting with your flowchart.

We have a process for the cup of tea, which is:

1/ Boil Water

2/ Place Breakfast Tea teabag in the cup

3/ Add Water

4/ Leave to sit for 2 mins

4/ Remove teabag

5/ Add milk

6/ Add sugar

So our problem solving flow chart needs to examine each of those steps to determine where the failure has occurred. 

We’ll add a question shape (diamond), connect out problem statement to it using an arrow to check if we boiled the kettle. Our Diagram will now look like:

As a question, we want two possible routes – Yes and No.

Our process asks us to boil the kettle if we did, and the answer is Yes, then we can go to the next process step.

If the answer is No, then we have a problem. Our tea will be cold. 

Here we can do one of two things. We can terminate the flow chart, or we can add an activity to rectify the problem (this might be to remake the drink or to perhaps heat the drink up in the microwave).

Our flow chart now looks like this:

Step 2 in our Tea making process was to add a Breakfast-tea tea bag.

So, once again, we’ll ask a question about that step.

“Did we add an English Breakfast teabag.”

As before, we’ll use a question shape, using Yes or No answers. If we performed the process step correctly, we’d move on. If we didn’t, we’ll either end the problem solving (we’ve found the root cause), or we’ll add a corrective action.

Now we’ll repeat this process until we’ve reviewed the whole process.

Our finished flowchart looks like this.

However, we’re not finished.

What happens if we follow the flow chart, and we find we didn’t use boiled water. We remake the tea using boiled water, and we still don’t like it?  

We need to ask some further questions.

We need to update our flow chart to validate that we solved the problem and what to do if we didn’t.

So for each step of the process, our problem solving flowchart now looks like this.

Here’s our completed flow chart.

As you can see, we’ve identified the problem, and we’ve described a corrective action.

But there’s a problem here. With this flowchart, you can still follow it, validating the process, and still end up with a cup of tea that’s unsatisfactory. 

Why is that?

Well, it’s perfectly possible that we started out with a process that’s incorrect. What happens if the process called for using an incorrect tea bag from the start?

So we’ll simplify things by adding a block at the end that if you’re still not happy at the end of reviewing the steps, a full review of the process will be undertaken. This is a simple answer to this problem, and I would expect that you would expand this section in more detail if you were creating a flowchart yourself.

So what does a more complex process look like, how about we look at a business problem?

Example 2 Problem Solving flow chart

OK, so example 1 may have been a bit simple, and you are maybe looking for something in a business context.

So in Example 2, let’s look at a scenario that’s a little more complex.

Let’s assume that your organization has received a non-conforming part. You have been assigned to work with the Vendor to:

• Find out what went wrong
• Prevent recurrence

We’re going to use a problem solving flow chart to help us do that.

As with the first example, we’re going to state the problem.

“The part is non conforming.”

Using the production process from the Vendor, we’ll work through the stages to see if we can spot what’s gone wrong.

The diagram below shows an analysis of the first two steps of the production process using a problem-solving flow chart.

The first thing you’ll notice is that on one process step, there may be many questions to ascertain the potential issue.  

Some of these may be complex and require careful thought.

There may be multiple variables (systems, processes, tools, inputs, etc.) that may require attention.

You will need to analyze each process step, in full, to be sure you have caught all the possible causes of the fault.

Which Flow chart shapes should you use.

A problem solving flow chart usually utilizes only a small number of shapes. We show these in the table below.

When should you use a Problem Solving flow chart

There are many many problem tools available.

A flow chart lends itself to be used when:

• You are looking for a tool that is simple to use
• You are looking to use a tool that does not require complex software
• You want to validate a  process.
• You want something that facilitates collaboration
• You want something that you can use to communicate with others

7 Tips on creating great problem solving flow charts

1/ Use standard shapes!

2/ Make it easy to follow!

3/ Keep things on one page

4/ Don’t overload your boxes with text

5/ Go into enough detail. Don’t try and simplify activities as it might hide problems from being seen.

6/ Collaborate. Where you can utilize a team to help document the problem and the activities do so. The more knowledge of the process, the better chance you’ll have of locating the issue.

7/ Use a consistent direction to flow your process, moving things around the page can confuse people who might look at it.

A flow chart can provide you with a great advantage when looking to solve problems. Some of the key benefits include

• A visual aide that’s easy to understand
• Simple to use, does not require hours and hours of training
• A tool that facilitates collaboration
• Effective for aiding communication
• Provides an effective method of analysing a process

However, as with everything, there are some issues to look out for

• Flowchart fails to capture all process steps and therefore root cause analysis is hit and miss
• Lack of knowledge of the process by the individual compiling the flowchart results in inaccurate problem solving
• Inconsistent flow of process makes maps confusing
• Complex processes may be better suited to other tools (fishbone etc)
• Inconsistent formatting and/or use of shapes result in flowchart that is difficult to utilise.

There are a great many tools out there for problem-solving, and flow charts can be used either as a stand-alone tool or conjunction with one of these other tools.

Flowcharts can make for a great problem-solving tool.  

They’re simple to use, effective, and facilitate collaboration.

We hope you’ve found our article useful, in particular the example walkthroughs.

If you’re looking to use the tool, we’d love some feedback from you and hearing how you’ve got on. Why not fire us a message on twitter or use the comments section below.

This article is part of our Problem Solving Guide.   

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Problem Solving Skills for the Digital Age

Lucid Content

Reading time: about 6 min

Let’s face it: Things don’t always go according to plan. Systems fail, wires get crossed, projects fall apart.

Problems are an inevitable part of life and work. They’re also an opportunity to think critically and find solutions. But knowing how to get to the root of unexpected situations or challenges can mean the difference between moving forward and spinning your wheels.

Here, we’ll break down the key elements of problem solving, some effective problem solving approaches, and a few effective tools to help you arrive at solutions more quickly.

So, what is problem solving?

Broadly defined, problem solving is the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues. But you already knew that. Understanding problem solving frameworks, however, requires a deeper dive.

Think about a recent problem you faced. Maybe it was an interpersonal issue. Or it could have been a major creative challenge you needed to solve for a client at work. How did you feel as you approached the issue? Stressed? Confused? Optimistic? Most importantly, which problem solving techniques did you use to tackle the situation head-on? How did you organize thoughts to arrive at the best possible solution?

Solve your problem-solving problem  

Here’s the good news: Good problem solving skills can be learned. By its nature, problem solving doesn’t adhere to a clear set of do’s and don’ts—it requires flexibility, communication, and adaptation. However, most problems you face, at work or in life, can be tackled using four basic steps.

First, you must define the problem . This step sounds obvious, but often, you can notice that something is amiss in a project or process without really knowing where the core problem lies. The most challenging part of the problem solving process is uncovering where the problem originated.

Second, you work to generate alternatives to address the problem directly. This should be a collaborative process to ensure you’re considering every angle of the issue.

Third, you evaluate and test potential solutions to your problem. This step helps you fully understand the complexity of the issue and arrive at the best possible solution.

Finally, fourth, you select and implement the solution that best addresses the problem.

Following this basic four-step process will help you approach every problem you encounter with the same rigorous critical and strategic thinking process, recognize commonalities in new problems, and avoid repeating past mistakes.

In addition to these basic problem solving skills, there are several best practices that you should incorporate. These problem solving approaches can help you think more critically and creatively about any problem:

You may not feel like you have the right expertise to resolve a specific problem. Don’t let that stop you from tackling it. The best problem solvers become students of the problem at hand. Even if you don’t have particular expertise on a topic, your unique experience and perspective can lend itself to creative solutions.

Challenge the status quo

Standard problem solving methodologies and problem solving frameworks are a good starting point. But don’t be afraid to challenge assumptions and push boundaries. Good problem solvers find ways to apply existing best practices into innovative problem solving approaches.

Think broadly about and visualize the issue

Sometimes it’s hard to see a problem, even if it’s right in front of you. Clear answers could be buried in rows of spreadsheet data or lost in miscommunication. Use visualization as a problem solving tool to break down problems to their core elements. Visuals can help you see bottlenecks in the context of the whole process and more clearly organize your thoughts as you define the problem.  

Hypothesize, test, and try again

It might be cliche, but there’s truth in the old adage that 99% of inspiration is perspiration. The best problem solvers ask why, test, fail, and ask why again. Whether it takes one or 1,000 iterations to solve a problem, the important part—and the part that everyone remembers—is the solution.

Consider other viewpoints

Today’s problems are more complex, more difficult to solve, and they often involve multiple disciplines. They require group expertise and knowledge. Being open to others’ expertise increases your ability to be a great problem solver. Great solutions come from integrating your ideas with those of others to find a better solution. Excellent problem solvers build networks and know how to collaborate with other people and teams. They are skilled in bringing people together and sharing knowledge and information.

4 effective problem solving tools

As you work through the problem solving steps, try these tools to better define the issue and find the appropriate solution.

Root cause analysis

Similar to pulling weeds from your garden, if you don’t get to the root of the problem, it’s bound to come back. A root cause analysis helps you figure out the root cause behind any disruption or problem, so you can take steps to correct the problem from recurring. The root cause analysis process involves defining the problem, collecting data, and identifying causal factors to pinpoint root causes and arrive at a solution.

Less structured than other more traditional problem solving methods, the 5 Whys is simply what it sounds like: asking why over and over to get to the root of an obstacle or setback. This technique encourages an open dialogue that can trigger new ideas about a problem, whether done individually or with a group. Each why piggybacks off the answer to the previous why. Get started with the template below—both flowcharts and fishbone diagrams can also help you track your answers to the 5 Whys.

Brainstorming

A meeting of the minds, a brain dump, a mind meld, a jam session. Whatever you call it, collaborative brainstorming can help surface previously unseen issues, root causes, and alternative solutions. Create and share a mind map with your team members to fuel your brainstorming session.

Gap analysis

Sometimes you don’t know where the problem is until you determine where it isn’t. Gap filling helps you analyze inadequacies that are preventing you from reaching an optimized state or end goal. For example, a content gap analysis can help a content marketer determine where holes exist in messaging or the customer experience. Gap analysis is especially helpful when it comes to problem solving because it requires you to find workable solutions. A SWOT analysis chart that looks at a problem through the lens of strengths, opportunities, opportunities, and threats can be a helpful problem solving framework as you start your analysis.

A better way to problem solve

Beyond these practical tips and tools, there are myriad methodical and creative approaches to move a project forward or resolve a conflict. The right approach will depend on the scope of the issue and your desired outcome.

Depending on the problem, Lucidchart offers several templates and diagrams that could help you identify the cause of the issue and map out a plan to resolve it.  Learn more about how Lucidchart can help you take control of your problem solving process .

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

Related articles

Sometimes you're faced with challenges that traditional problem solving can't fix. Creative problem solving encourages you to find new, creative ways of thinking that can help you overcome the issue at hand more quickly.

Root cause analysis refers to any problem-solving method used to trace an issue back to its origin. Learn how to complete a root cause analysis—we've even included templates to get you started.

Bring your bright ideas to life.

or continue with

10 Funny and Fabulous Flowcharts

By miss cellania | jun 23, 2011.

Flow charts are wonderful for mapping processes for machines, as they lay out a sequence of binary decisions, meaning yes or no. When you think about it, most of what we do in life is also based on yes/no decisions -you just have to break the problem down into small pieces to see that clearly. In these flow charts, we see how life choices can be broken down into a set of binary decisions taken to a ridiculous degree.

1. Should I Worry?

I love this chart . It illustrates what I tell my family from time to time -there's no sense in worrying about something you can't do anything about. And when you think about it, there's no sense in worrying about anything else, either. And if you squint your eyes, the chart looks as if it is saying "OK."

2. Should I Become an Astronaut or Not?

You may be devoted to space and space travel, but if you're not cut out for the position of astronaut, you may as well focus on something else. This flow chart will help you make that decision in a logical, orderly fashion. After all, hiring is down, even at NASA. It's from Good magazine, where they have a new flowchart for your life decisions every week .

3. Video Game Characters

If you've ever wondered how game makers design characters, there are only a few easily-parsed rules. This is just the beginning of the flow chart, but if you go to the full chart , you will see more character development. You already know where the female line is heading.

4. How to Play Pictionary

I'm not sure if this is the best way to play the game, but it's what actually happens when people play it, illustrated by the webcomic Doghouse Diaries . If you have a better method, it would be prudent to keep it to yourself to gain an edge on the competition (yeah, right- as if Pictionary is a competitive game).

5. Should You Friend Your Parents on Facebook?

What a conundrum! In my case, the question is whether I should "friend" my children. With a house full of teenagers, I am torn between wanting to keep up with their social interactions and not wanting them to know the details of my online business. This handy flowchart by Mike Newman at Cool Material leads you through the decision-making process.

6. How to Find YouTube Videos

YouTube is a vast ocean consisting of almost anything that can be committed to video. Finding what you'll most likely enjoy is made easier with this maze of a flowchart by Karen Kavett . A series of questions will lead you to a recommended channel, or at least a starting point. See the full size version at her site.

7. How to Hack a Computer in an Action Movie

Hacking someone else's computer system in the real world is a complicated feat that not just anyone can do. In Hollywood, however, all you need is a few time-tested steps that can be followed in a flow chart from College Humor . Only the beginning is shown here. Click to enlarge the original version to read it all.

8. Expressing Your Thoughts

Paul Davis designed a series of a dozen greeting cards with hand-drawn flow charts that explain the sender's message. Each step in the flow makes the greeting more meaningful.

9. What Produce Should I Eat?

What Should I Eat? Produce Aisle Edition is just one of the many food flowcharts from Top Cultured. They also have flowcharts to help you select your beer, candy, fast food, chain restaurant, and more. Looking at all the choices from the produce aisle makes me crave a salad, especially in the summer when everything tastes so much better. Even if you have no trouble selecting your food, this chart may give you ideas for something new to try. Only a small portion is pictured here.

10. Obsession

This flow chart explains the daily life of a cyclist , but it could be adapted to anyone who has a hobby that takes over their life. It was designed by Karl Rosengarth of Wearhold . I can't argue against anything that will make someone this happy.

See more funny flowcharts in other mental_floss posts: Run Your Life with Flowcharts! Fun with Flowcharts 7 Geeky Flowcharts 7 Brilliant and/or Baffling Flowcharts 7 Flowcharts for Fun 10 Funny Flowcharts 10 Clever and Confusing Flowcharts

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• Problem Solving / Decision Making

Problem Solving Diagrams - Flowcharts

A flow chart can be a useful tool in problem solving. You can see at a glance how your decisions and actions affect the outcome of your problem solving process. This lesson will help you learn the symbols and steps for writing a flowchart. 

Video - Introduction to Creating Flowcharts

Video - lucidchart introduction, "what is my grade" flowchart.

Computer programmers use flowcharts and other types of diagrams to help visualize the steps and  flow  of the program. This can help to see any errors in the logic before they begin to program. Flowcharts can be used no matter what computer language the program will be written in.

If you wanted to write a computer program that inputs a quiz score and then outputs the letter grade that corresponds to that quiz score, you may want to think about the steps that you would use to create this program.

Task Instructions:

1. View the tutorial above for information on how to use Lucidchart to create a flowchart.

2. This is the algorithm that your flowchart should follow:

Input test score

Decision: Is score greater than 89?

Decision: Is score between 80 and 89?

Decision: Is score between 70 and 79?

Decision: Is score between 60 and 69?

Decision: Is score less than 60?

2. You will use the following symbols for this flowchart: Start/End symbols (this symbol is called Terminator in Lucidchart), Decision symbols, Input/Output (Data) symbols 

3.  Click here for the What is my Grade Flowchart Template .  Click on  File , then  Make Copy

4.   Create your flowchart according to the instructions on the template.

"Time For Lunch" Flowchart

Summarize the lesson by discussing with the students the reasons a computer programmer might use a flowchart.

You want to order lunch at a fast food restaurant. You know you want a hamburger, but aren't sure if you'd like fries and a drink. To practice creating a flowchart, think about the steps that you take to solve this problem. Instructions:

Click HERE to go to Lucidchart.com . 

Click HERE to open the TIME FOR LUNCH Flowchart

Click on  File  and choose to  Make a Copy

• Follow the instructions on the  TIME FOR LUNCH Flowchart  to fill in the correct text in the flowchart symbols.   Click HERE to view a tutorial on how to properly fill out this chart .

Version History

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• Design & UX

20 funny flowcharts to help you navigate life’s toughest decisions

Georgina Guthrie

February 10, 2022

Flowcharts are a great way to distill big questions or complex processes into neat yes/no answers. They’re commonly used in organizations to help visualize decision processes , but that doesn’t mean they should be confined to the office. Flowcharts can actually help you navigate a multitude of big life choices. Or, in the case of funny flowcharts, they’re just as useful for working through comically trivial decisions.

For example, should you eat that slice of pizza you dropped on the floor? There’s a flowchart for that. Should you add an emoji to that email? Consult the flowchart! Should you leave the party early? At Nulab, we love funny flowcharts, so take a look at some of our top picks for the most entertaining diagrams .

1. Is this a flow chart?

First of all, here’s an essential flowchart for anyone who’s still a little fuzzy about the concept. This one’s jazzed up the original ‘yes/no’ questions with slightly different phrases, but they’re still affirmative/negative responses leading you towards your big reveal.

cheezburger.com

2. Is this a flowchart, simplified

It’s the same idea, but if you remove all the unnecessary steps, you could end up with a flowchart as simple as this one.

Humor that works

3. Do you need a flowchart?

Next, you need to decide whether a flowchart is right for you. Of course, there’s a flowchart to help you navigate that question as well.

augustlovesmay.com

4. Hey Jude?

Here’s an example of a looping flowchart designed to help you remember the lyrics to The Beatles’ most confusing song, Hey Jude . The loop comes at the bottom in the form of the ‘na’ lyric, which, if you know the song, goes on for hours. For those unfamiliar with the tune, you can listen to it right here on YouTube. All together now!

Laughingsquid.com , via loveallthis.tumblr.com

5. Is this flowchart a trap?

Flowcharts aren’t without their problems : all those arrows and loops could be your downfall if you’re not vigilant. Here’s a specially designed diagram to illustrate these potential pitfalls.

6. Are you hungry?

Deciding what it is you want to eat is no easy task. Do you choose the carrot sticks or chow down on the carrot cake? Luckily, there are funny flowcharts designed to help you navigate this complex decision-making process.

Now, you know what to do with those leftover birthday treats sitting in the office kitchen.

dailyvowelmovements.com

7. Should you get takeaway?

Reaching a decision at the end of a long day can be difficult, which is why a dinner-based flowchart is all the more useful. Should you roll up your sleeves and start cooking dinner or splurge on takeaway? Check the flowchart!

Ben Armson, Buzzfeed

8. Should you stay?

After-work drinks. Networking. Team socials . Like accidentally hitting ‘reply all’ and tripping over in public, attending a career-based group activity is just one of those things that professionals have to do at least once in their working lives. Some people enjoy it. Others are indifferent. And then there are those who would quite literally rather have both their eyebrows waxed off.

It’s not that they don’t like their colleagues; it’s just that they find large groups of people exhausting. Not only are the small talk and mingling tiring, but the event itself is fraught with complex decisions. For example, when and why should you leave?

Here’s a helpful flowchart for socially anxious individuals who find themselves in this predicament.

9. Do I say ‘hi?’

Getting someone’s name wrong is awkward for everyone involved. So, rather than put you both through the trauma of it, let’s take a step back and consider whether you should be saying ‘hi’ in the first place. Here’s a handy flowchart full of probing questions designed to help you make that initial decision.

knocknockstuff.com

10. Do you eat it?

Ever heard of the five-second rule? It’s essentially a very accurate scientific formula that determines whether the food you’ve dropped on the floor is safe to eat. If it was there for five seconds or less, then it’s good to eat. Six seconds or more? Bin it.

But, like many scientific processes, the five-second rule isn’t without its limitations. For example, was the event witnessed by anyone who is likely to be disgusted by the sight of you eating floor food? Was the item sticky and therefore likely to have fluff attached to it? Did the cat lick it? The funny flowchart below takes all these important complexities into consideration.

seriouseats.com

11. Are you sure you can eat it?

Flowcharts can be as simple or as detailed as you like. The example below expands upon the five-second rule by adding more layers of questioning to the process. It takes a little longer to create (and answer), but the outcome will be more thorough.

www.dissociatedpress.com

12. Should I use emoji?

One of life’s great questions: to emoji, or not to emoji? Use one and risk appearing unprofessional. Don’t use one and risk sounding grumpy, sarcastic, or stuffy. It’s a minefield! Luckily, there’s a way to help you decode emoji etiquette.

wendymacnaughton.tumblr.com

13. How do engineers fix a problem?

We don’t all have the passion or mathematic skills to go to engineering school. But that doesn’t mean life isn’t going to throw you some engineering problems. Here’s how to start fixing things like a professional.

engineering.com

14. Are you a horse?

Funny flowcharts can also help you get to know yourself a bit better. Consider this example, which is designed to help you work out whether you’re a horse or not. Go on, give it a go. You never know!

i.imgur.com / Via blameitonthevoices.com

15. Do you have too many pets?

Now that you’ve figured out you’re not a horse… is it possible you have too many cats at home? Here’s a quick and easy way to find out. Of course, answers are subjective.

16. Which fruit are you?

Every once in a while, it’s therapeutic to engage in an extremely low-stakes analytical process. So, the next time you need to flex your mental muscles, why not figure out what type of fruit you are? Who knows? You might discover you’re really a papaya and not the blueberry you always imagined.

17. How to play games with kids

As any parent knows, it’s not how you play the game; it’s how you let your kid win. If you’re normally so competitive that you’d even brag about being struck by lightning the most times, being a parent exposes you to a lot of hard truths.

The most important one: young children always get to win. Always. If you have any doubts about this unspoken rule, this funny flowchart should clear things up for you.

How to Be a Dad

18. Should you call me?

For those of us who love our alone time, it’s crucial to set some ground rules for our well-meaning friends. Getting an unexpected call when you were busy enjoying a solo celebration of 90s music is the worst. And to recover, you’ll have to spend hours recharging your energy with an 80s music playlist.

If you’d rather avoid the stress, turn to this flowchart to let others know exactly when they’re allowed to call you.

Introvert Doodles

19. Should I cook more?

Some flowcharts aren’t about making a decision ; they’re about the inevitable failure of trying to force yourself out of your comfort zone. But don’t fret! Even if you never convince yourself to cook more or climb Mount Everest, at least you can learn how to master the art of creating funny flowcharts .

20. Did you wake up on time?

There’s one dilemma everyone has faced: does it make sense to get out of bed if you’re already late for work? Whether you stayed up late tending to children or binge-watching Game of Thrones (for the tenth time), the correct answer is always the same. Just take a personal day!

Adam Ellis, Buzzfeed

Final thoughts

Flowcharts are a great way to simplify the decision-making process , whether you have serious business goals or just fancy making funny flowcharts for you and your team. Using a specially designed diagramming tool can streamline the creative process, while a mixture of different colors and shapes keeps things looking vibrant and fun.

This post was originally published on December 11, 2018, and updated most recently on February 10, 2022.

[Flowchart] Single? Married? Here’s how to spend Valentine’s Day

[Flowchart] Here’s what you should be reading right now: A Cacoo flowchart

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Learn with Nulab to bring your best ideas to life

Computer Troubleshooting Flowchart: IT Troubleshooting Made Easy

Updated on: 31 March 2021

An application failing to respond is no big deal and troubleshooting is no rocket science!! But we end up cursing the application each time it fails to respond.

Not everyone is a techie, and every time we have issues we run to IT support or our friends for help. Now thanks to Thomas Boito (First Steps in Troubleshooting),  you needn’t hassle your tech-savvy friends anymore.

This computer troubleshooting flowchart created with Creately illustrates the first steps in troubleshooting your PC desktop if you have volume problems and is very simple yet effective. I  hope you’ll find this flowchart as useful as I did – I’ve got it up on the wall.

Drawing flowcharts on Creately is stunningly easy and convenient with Creately’s 1-click create button. You too can try Creately’s flowchart software for a great flowcharting experience!. The personal plan starts at $5/month and comes with some exciting features. If you feel like drawing together we have very affordable team plans too.

If the flowchart doesn’t help you can get help from many online computer troubleshooting services.

Have you got a useful Creately diagram you’d like featured here?  Send us the public link to your diagram and we will publish if we think it’s beneficial to our users.

Join over thousands of organizations that use Creately to brainstorm, plan, analyze, and execute their projects successfully.

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Problem-solving – Flowchart example

The flowchart starts with identifying a problem. After the problem is identified, data is gathered and analyzed. Then, the solution is developed and the best solution is identified. If it isn’t successful, the solution development process starts again. If successful, the plan is implemented and is improved continuously.

Edit this diagram in Gleek

Problem-Solving diagram code in Gleek

Start:queue Identify the problem Data gathering Analyze data Solution development Identify the best solution Successful?:diamond Plan implementation Continue to improve Finish:queue Start–>Identify the problem Identify the problem–>Data gathering Data gathering–>Analyze data Analyze data–>Solution development Solution development–>Identify the best solution Identify the best solution–>Successful? Successful?-no->Solution development Successful?-yes->Plan implementation Plan implementation–>Continue to improve Continue to improve–>Finish

About Flowcharts

A flowchart, or flow chart, is a type of diagram that shows a step-by-step view of a process. Flowcharts document the tasks and decisions needed to achieve a specific goal. A basic flowchart is easy to make and understand. Businesses, engineers and software designers often use flowcharts to diagram their ideas.

Similar flowchart examples

Product development flowchart

A/B testing flowchart

Patient transfer in hospital flowchart

Credit card payment process flowchart

Alarm clock flowchart

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Do You Understand the Problem You’re Trying to Solve?

To solve tough problems at work, first ask these questions.

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Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem without taking time to really understand the dilemma we face, according to Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg , an expert in innovation and the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .

In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the situation. You’ll also learn why searching for just one root cause can be misleading.

Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, power and influence, business management.

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Secret to Better Problem Solving (2016)
• Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
• Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org .

HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR on Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you.

Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But even the most experienced among us can fall into the trap of solving the wrong problem.

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg says that all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem – without taking time to really understand what we’re facing.

He’s an expert in innovation, and he’s the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .

  In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems, by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the situation. You’ll also learn why searching for one root cause can be misleading. And you’ll learn how to use experimentation and rapid prototyping as problem-solving tools.

This episode originally aired on HBR IdeaCast in December 2016. Here it is.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Sarah Green Carmichael.

Problem solving is popular. People put it on their resumes. Managers believe they excel at it. Companies count it as a key proficiency. We solve customers’ problems.

The problem is we often solve the wrong problems. Albert Einstein and Peter Drucker alike have discussed the difficulty of effective diagnosis. There are great frameworks for getting teams to attack true problems, but they’re often hard to do daily and on the fly. That’s where our guest comes in.

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is a consultant who helps companies and managers reframe their problems so they can come up with an effective solution faster. He asks the question “Are You Solving The Right Problems?” in the January-February 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review. Thomas, thank you so much for coming on the HBR IdeaCast .

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Thanks for inviting me.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, I thought maybe we could start by talking about the problem of talking about problem reframing. What is that exactly?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Basically, when people face a problem, they tend to jump into solution mode to rapidly, and very often that means that they don’t really understand, necessarily, the problem they’re trying to solve. And so, reframing is really a– at heart, it’s a method that helps you avoid that by taking a second to go in and ask two questions, basically saying, first of all, wait. What is the problem we’re trying to solve? And then crucially asking, is there a different way to think about what the problem actually is?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, I feel like so often when this comes up in meetings, you know, someone says that, and maybe they throw out the Einstein quote about you spend an hour of problem solving, you spend 55 minutes to find the problem. And then everyone else in the room kind of gets irritated. So, maybe just give us an example of maybe how this would work in practice in a way that would not, sort of, set people’s teeth on edge, like oh, here Sarah goes again, reframing the whole problem instead of just solving it.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I mean, you’re bringing up something that’s, I think is crucial, which is to create legitimacy for the method. So, one of the reasons why I put out the article is to give people a tool to say actually, this thing is still important, and we need to do it. But I think the really critical thing in order to make this work in a meeting is actually to learn how to do it fast, because if you have the idea that you need to spend 30 minutes in a meeting delving deeply into the problem, I mean, that’s going to be uphill for most problems. So, the critical thing here is really to try to make it a practice you can implement very, very rapidly.

There’s an example that I would suggest memorizing. This is the example that I use to explain very rapidly what it is. And it’s basically, I call it the slow elevator problem. You imagine that you are the owner of an office building, and that your tenants are complaining that the elevator’s slow.

Now, if you take that problem framing for granted, you’re going to start thinking creatively around how do we make the elevator faster. Do we install a new motor? Do we have to buy a new lift somewhere?

The thing is, though, if you ask people who actually work with facilities management, well, they’re going to have a different solution for you, which is put up a mirror next to the elevator. That’s what happens is, of course, that people go oh, I’m busy. I’m busy. I’m– oh, a mirror. Oh, that’s beautiful.

And then they forget time. What’s interesting about that example is that the idea with a mirror is actually a solution to a different problem than the one you first proposed. And so, the whole idea here is once you get good at using reframing, you can quickly identify other aspects of the problem that might be much better to try to solve than the original one you found. It’s not necessarily that the first one is wrong. It’s just that there might be better problems out there to attack that we can, means we can do things much faster, cheaper, or better.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, in that example, I can understand how A, it’s probably expensive to make the elevator faster, so it’s much cheaper just to put up a mirror. And B, maybe the real problem people are actually feeling, even though they’re not articulating it right, is like, I hate waiting for the elevator. But if you let them sort of fix their hair or check their teeth, they’re suddenly distracted and don’t notice.

But if you have, this is sort of a pedestrian example, but say you have a roommate or a spouse who doesn’t clean up the kitchen. Facing that problem and not having your elegant solution already there to highlight the contrast between the perceived problem and the real problem, how would you take a problem like that and attack it using this method so that you can see what some of the other options might be?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Right. So, I mean, let’s say it’s you who have that problem. I would go in and say, first of all, what would you say the problem is? Like, if you were to describe your view of the problem, what would that be?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: I hate cleaning the kitchen, and I want someone else to clean it up.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: OK. So, my first observation, you know, that somebody else might not necessarily be your spouse. So, already there, there’s an inbuilt assumption in your question around oh, it has to be my husband who does the cleaning. So, it might actually be worth, already there to say, is that really the only problem you have? That you hate cleaning the kitchen, and you want to avoid it? Or might there be something around, as well, getting a better relationship in terms of how you solve problems in general or establishing a better way to handle small problems when dealing with your spouse?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Or maybe, now that I’m thinking that, maybe the problem is that you just can’t find the stuff in the kitchen when you need to find it.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Right, and so that’s an example of a reframing, that actually why is it a problem that the kitchen is not clean? Is it only because you hate the act of cleaning, or does it actually mean that it just takes you a lot longer and gets a lot messier to actually use the kitchen, which is a different problem. The way you describe this problem now, is there anything that’s missing from that description?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: That is a really good question.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Other, basically asking other factors that we are not talking about right now, and I say those because people tend to, when given a problem, they tend to delve deeper into the detail. What often is missing is actually an element outside of the initial description of the problem that might be really relevant to what’s going on. Like, why does the kitchen get messy in the first place? Is it something about the way you use it or your cooking habits? Is it because the neighbor’s kids, kind of, use it all the time?

There might, very often, there might be issues that you’re not really thinking about when you first describe the problem that actually has a big effect on it.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: I think at this point it would be helpful to maybe get another business example, and I’m wondering if you could tell us the story of the dog adoption problem.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Yeah. This is a big problem in the US. If you work in the shelter industry, basically because dogs are so popular, more than 3 million dogs every year enter a shelter, and currently only about half of those actually find a new home and get adopted. And so, this is a problem that has persisted. It’s been, like, a structural problem for decades in this space. In the last three years, where people found new ways to address it.

So a woman called Lori Weise who runs a rescue organization in South LA, and she actually went in and challenged the very idea of what we were trying to do. She said, no, no. The problem we’re trying to solve is not about how to get more people to adopt dogs. It is about keeping the dogs with their first family so they never enter the shelter system in the first place.

In 2013, she started what’s called a Shelter Intervention Program that basically works like this. If a family comes and wants to hand over their dog, these are called owner surrenders. It’s about 30% of all dogs that come into a shelter. All they would do is go up and ask, if you could, would you like to keep your animal? And if they said yes, they would try to fix whatever helped them fix the problem, but that made them turn over this.

And sometimes that might be that they moved into a new building. The landlord required a deposit, and they simply didn’t have the money to put down a deposit. Or the dog might need a $10 rabies shot, but they didn’t know how to get access to a vet.

And so, by instigating that program, just in the first year, she took her, basically the amount of dollars they spent per animal they helped went from something like $85 down to around $60. Just an immediate impact, and her program now is being rolled out, is being supported by the ASPCA, which is one of the big animal welfare stations, and it’s being rolled out to various other places.

And I think what really struck me with that example was this was not dependent on having the internet. This was not, oh, we needed to have everybody mobile before we could come up with this. This, conceivably, we could have done 20 years ago. Only, it only happened when somebody, like in this case Lori, went in and actually rethought what the problem they were trying to solve was in the first place.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, what I also think is so interesting about that example is that when you talk about it, it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that would have been thought of through other kinds of problem solving methods. There wasn’t necessarily an After Action Review or a 5 Whys exercise or a Six Sigma type intervention. I don’t want to throw those other methods under the bus, but how can you get such powerful results with such a very simple way of thinking about something?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: That was something that struck me as well. This, in a way, reframing and the idea of the problem diagnosis is important is something we’ve known for a long, long time. And we’ve actually have built some tools to help out. If you worked with us professionally, you are familiar with, like, Six Sigma, TRIZ, and so on. You mentioned 5 Whys. A root cause analysis is another one that a lot of people are familiar with.

Those are our good tools, and they’re definitely better than nothing. But what I notice when I work with the companies applying those was those tools tend to make you dig deeper into the first understanding of the problem we have. If it’s the elevator example, people start asking, well, is that the cable strength, or is the capacity of the elevator? That they kind of get caught by the details.

That, in a way, is a bad way to work on problems because it really assumes that there’s like a, you can almost hear it, a root cause. That you have to dig down and find the one true problem, and everything else was just symptoms. That’s a bad way to think about problems because problems tend to be multicausal.

There tend to be lots of causes or levers you can potentially press to address a problem. And if you think there’s only one, if that’s the right problem, that’s actually a dangerous way. And so I think that’s why, that this is a method I’ve worked with over the last five years, trying to basically refine how to make people better at this, and the key tends to be this thing about shifting out and saying, is there a totally different way of thinking about the problem versus getting too caught up in the mechanistic details of what happens.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: What about experimentation? Because that’s another method that’s become really popular with the rise of Lean Startup and lots of other innovation methodologies. Why wouldn’t it have worked to, say, experiment with many different types of fixing the dog adoption problem, and then just pick the one that works the best?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: You could say in the dog space, that’s what’s been going on. I mean, there is, in this industry and a lot of, it’s largely volunteer driven. People have experimented, and they found different ways of trying to cope. And that has definitely made the problem better. So, I wouldn’t say that experimentation is bad, quite the contrary. Rapid prototyping, quickly putting something out into the world and learning from it, that’s a fantastic way to learn more and to move forward.

My point is, though, that I feel we’ve come to rely too much on that. There’s like, if you look at the start up space, the wisdom is now just to put something quickly into the market, and then if it doesn’t work, pivot and just do more stuff. What reframing really is, I think of it as the cognitive counterpoint to prototyping. So, this is really a way of seeing very quickly, like not just working on the solution, but also working on our understanding of the problem and trying to see is there a different way to think about that.

If you only stick with experimentation, again, you tend to sometimes stay too much in the same space trying minute variations of something instead of taking a step back and saying, wait a minute. What is this telling us about what the real issue is?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, to go back to something that we touched on earlier, when we were talking about the completely hypothetical example of a spouse who does not clean the kitchen–

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Completely, completely hypothetical.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Yes. For the record, my husband is a great kitchen cleaner.

You started asking me some questions that I could see immediately were helping me rethink that problem. Is that kind of the key, just having a checklist of questions to ask yourself? How do you really start to put this into practice?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I think there are two steps in that. The first one is just to make yourself better at the method. Yes, you should kind of work with a checklist. In the article, I kind of outlined seven practices that you can use to do this.

But importantly, I would say you have to consider that as, basically, a set of training wheels. I think there’s a big, big danger in getting caught in a checklist. This is something I work with.

My co-author Paddy Miller, it’s one of his insights. That if you start giving people a checklist for things like this, they start following it. And that’s actually a problem, because what you really want them to do is start challenging their thinking.

So the way to handle this is to get some practice using it. Do use the checklist initially, but then try to step away from it and try to see if you can organically make– it’s almost a habit of mind. When you run into a colleague in the hallway and she has a problem and you have five minutes, like, delving in and just starting asking some of those questions and using your intuition to say, wait, how is she talking about this problem? And is there a question or two I can ask her about the problem that can help her rethink it?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Well, that is also just a very different approach, because I think in that situation, most of us can’t go 30 seconds without jumping in and offering solutions.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Very true. The drive toward solutions is very strong. And to be clear, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that if the solutions work. So, many problems are just solved by oh, you know, oh, here’s the way to do that. Great.

But this is really a powerful method for those problems where either it’s something we’ve been banging our heads against tons of times without making progress, or when you need to come up with a really creative solution. When you’re facing a competitor with a much bigger budget, and you know, if you solve the same problem later, you’re not going to win. So, that basic idea of taking that approach to problems can often help you move forward in a different way than just like, oh, I have a solution.

I would say there’s also, there’s some interesting psychological stuff going on, right? Where you may have tried this, but if somebody tries to serve up a solution to a problem I have, I’m often resistant towards them. Kind if like, no, no, no, no, no, no. That solution is not going to work in my world. Whereas if you get them to discuss and analyze what the problem really is, you might actually dig something up.

Let’s go back to the kitchen example. One powerful question is just to say, what’s your own part in creating this problem? It’s very often, like, people, they describe problems as if it’s something that’s inflicted upon them from the external world, and they are innocent bystanders in that.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Right, or crazy customers with unreasonable demands.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Exactly, right. I don’t think I’ve ever met an agency or consultancy that didn’t, like, gossip about their customers. Oh, my god, they’re horrible. That, you know, classic thing, why don’t they want to take more risk? Well, risk is bad.

It’s their business that’s on the line, not the consultancy’s, right? So, absolutely, that’s one of the things when you step into a different mindset and kind of, wait. Oh yeah, maybe I actually am part of creating this problem in a sense, as well. That tends to open some new doors for you to move forward, in a way, with stuff that you may have been struggling with for years.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, we’ve surfaced a couple of questions that are useful. I’m curious to know, what are some of the other questions that you find yourself asking in these situations, given that you have made this sort of mental habit that you do? What are the questions that people seem to find really useful?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: One easy one is just to ask if there are any positive exceptions to the problem. So, was there day where your kitchen was actually spotlessly clean? And then asking, what was different about that day? Like, what happened there that didn’t happen the other days? That can very often point people towards a factor that they hadn’t considered previously.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: We got take-out.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: S,o that is your solution. Take-out from [INAUDIBLE]. That might have other problems.

Another good question, and this is a little bit more high level. It’s actually more making an observation about labeling how that person thinks about the problem. And what I mean with that is, we have problem categories in our head. So, if I say, let’s say that you describe a problem to me and say, well, we have a really great product and are, it’s much better than our previous product, but people aren’t buying it. I think we need to put more marketing dollars into this.

Now you can go in and say, that’s interesting. This sounds like you’re thinking of this as a communications problem. Is there a different way of thinking about that? Because you can almost tell how, when the second you say communications, there are some ideas about how do you solve a communications problem. Typically with more communication.

And what you might do is go in and suggest, well, have you considered that it might be, say, an incentive problem? Are there incentives on behalf of the purchasing manager at your clients that are obstructing you? Might there be incentive issues with your own sales force that makes them want to sell the old product instead of the new one?

So literally, just identifying what type of problem does this person think about, and is there different potential way of thinking about it? Might it be an emotional problem, a timing problem, an expectations management problem? Thinking about what label of what type of problem that person is kind of thinking as it of.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: That’s really interesting, too, because I think so many of us get requests for advice that we’re really not qualified to give. So, maybe the next time that happens, instead of muddying my way through, I will just ask some of those questions that we talked about instead.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: That sounds like a good idea.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, Thomas, this has really helped me reframe the way I think about a couple of problems in my own life, and I’m just wondering. I know you do this professionally, but is there a problem in your life that thinking this way has helped you solve?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I’ve, of course, I’ve been swallowing my own medicine on this, too, and I think I have, well, maybe two different examples, and in one case somebody else did the reframing for me. But in one case, when I was younger, I often kind of struggled a little bit. I mean, this is my teenage years, kind of hanging out with my parents. I thought they were pretty annoying people. That’s not really fair, because they’re quite wonderful, but that’s what life is when you’re a teenager.

And one of the things that struck me, suddenly, and this was kind of the positive exception was, there was actually an evening where we really had a good time, and there wasn’t a conflict. And the core thing was, I wasn’t just seeing them in their old house where I grew up. It was, actually, we were at a restaurant. And it suddenly struck me that so much of the sometimes, kind of, a little bit, you love them but they’re annoying kind of dynamic, is tied to the place, is tied to the setting you are in.

And of course, if– you know, I live abroad now, if I visit my parents and I stay in my old bedroom, you know, my mother comes in and wants to wake me up in the morning. Stuff like that, right? And it just struck me so, so clearly that it’s– when I change this setting, if I go out and have dinner with them at a different place, that the dynamic, just that dynamic disappears.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Well, Thomas, this has been really, really helpful. Thank you for talking with me today.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Thank you, Sarah.  

HANNAH BATES: That was Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg in conversation with Sarah Green Carmichael on the HBR IdeaCast. He’s an expert in problem solving and innovation, and he’s the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .

We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from the Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review.

We’re a production of Harvard Business Review. If you want more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos like this, find it all at HBR dot org.

This episode was produced by Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Music by Coma Media. Special thanks to Maureen Hoch, Adi Ignatius, Karen Player, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener.

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19 Flowcharts That Will Actually Teach You Something

January 11, 2018 by Lauren

Flowcharts — we’ve all seen them, and we’ve all made one. They’re everywhere from government websites to the backs of receipts. You’ve probably found cause to use one for your content every now and again, as well.

But most flowcharts suck. The visual components are terrible to look at. The layout is hard to follow. The progression doesn’t make sense, or people are jamming way too much info into one chart. Before you know it, you’ve got something that just looks like a pile of spaghetti.

Here’s a secret: that’s probably not the flowchart’s fault. Flowcharts can be a great way to synthesize information and are a valuable takeaway from a piece of content. So where are you going wrong? What can you do better? When should you actually take the effort to make a decent flowchart instead of just writing something out?

Within the 19 examples of flowcharts that we’ve gathered here today are the answers to your questions. Read on.

What Makes Flowcharts Good? When Should You Use One?

The basics of a good flowchart can be split into two parts: visual and conceptual. The visual concerns are pretty basic: plain color schemes, easy to read arrows, and a decent organizational layout.

The conceptual is really what makes a good flowchart stand out. Unlike something like an infographic, where you’re just assembling facts, or a timeline, that has an easy logical progression, flowcharts are only as good as the ideas they represent.

As you’ll see in our examples, this doesn’t mean that the concept has to be something complex. If you have a strong concept, using a flowchart can pack a punch, even when its simple. It also means that sometimes that flowchart is more than just the information represented. It’s a piece of content in and of itself that is layered with its own meaning.

When should you use a flowchart?

You should consider using a flowchart if:

• you have a complex structure to represent
• you are representing a sequence of events with multiple outcomes
• you are explaining a concept that is predominantly modeled with “if… then” statements
• you have a strong conceptual idea that can be represented through two or more connected nodes

In general, flowcharts are helpful when you can synthesize and map everything in a reasonably neat sequence. If there are too many caveats, too much information in a single step, or too many disconnected elements, a flowchart is not for that topic.

To help you visualize how this actually plays out, let’s get into examples. We’ve split them into sections, with the charts split loosely by the type of organizational structure they use, so you can see the different ways flowcharts can help you model arguments and processes. It isn’t all about getting from point A straight to point B — there’s a lot you can do to make a flowchart a great piece of content in a number of different ways. We’ll cover spiderweb flowcharts, choose your own adventure charts, linear representations, hybrid flowcharts, and a few extras just for fun.

Spiderweb Flowcharts

The spiderweb flowchart shows many things branching out from one or more central hubs. Generally, there are connections between the items that are branched out from the hub, but it’s not strictly necessary. Spiderweb charts are good for project planning, mapping connections, and making a point about a concept’s centrality .

As you’ll see in our examples, there’s a lot of flexibility in spiderweb-style flowcharts to add in different elements, and to have fun with the form.

1. The History of Alt Music

This Wired chart on the history of alt music designed by James Quail at Dorothy Studio is a great blend of the aesthetic and the interesting. No, this isn’t something that you can get a clear message from with a quick glance, but it is a great example of how to trace the influences of groups back to their predecessors.

In tracing influence, there’s an inherent notion of time, where the newer bands tend to be further from the hubs and stem from more connections. This is easy to grasp and adds an extra dimension to this spiderweb. We also love the strong aesthetic and high-contrast colors here.

What this chart could improve on is its use of symbols. It is not always clear what the different connectors mean in relation to the information they’re representing. Take the arrow that breaks off into nowhere on the bottom right — are we supposed to infer that it is pointing back to a particular artist? That it represents a general trend? A key explaining different symbols would be a great addition here.

2. How to Speak Tech Jargon

This is a chart that spiderwebs out from the hilarity that is “ tech jargon ”. We like how the six primary categories are next to each other in the middle of the chart in green, making it easy to see how each section of the chart unfolds.

Another thing we like about this is that all the furthest elements are in black, making it easy to spot the jargon and trace this chart backwards as well as out from the center. This improves readability dramatically without making a mess of things.

Another thing that’s well done here is the glossary at the bottom. As funny as this chart is, it’s annoying if you have to keep opening another tab to google what a term means. This way, people stay on your website reading your hilarious content, instead of getting sucked into some other guy’s piece on why “move the needle” is passé.

3. Data Security

This spiderweb on data security is a great example of how concept and form can play together to make a really clever statement. Instead of having everything branch out from “NO”, everything feeds into it. When you see “NO” surrounded by tons of arrows, you almost don’t need to read the chart to get the content.

Another thing we like about this chart is that the copy within each stop on the journey to “NO” (or, in one rare case, “Maybe?”). The point of this flowchart isn’t to do an actual checkin on your online data — it’s that nobody’s data is safe. The humorous copy keeps people going through the chart, even though they know that some of the questions, like Is your network defended by the gods, old and new?, are facetious.

Choose Your Own Adventure

The choose your own adventure flowchart is a classic. It’s what most people think about when they think about flowcharts, and it seems like it should be relatively straightforward to create. But to really knock it out of the park, there are a few things you need to consider.

To transform this classic chart into a truly useful tool, it’s best to think about what types of additional elements to include. This is a great format to add in additional graphics, extra pieces of information, and even templates or links to other content that will help the reader with whatever square they land on in their “yes / no” journey.

4. Should Your Business Be on Pinterest?

This chart about Pinterest marketing is a good example of how to go beyond the yes/no question format while maintaining a chart’s clarity. Each question has extra information that helps people understand exactly what it takes to market on Pinterest. Since this flowchart is obviously aimed at someone who isn’t familiar with Pinterest or Pinterest marketing, qualifying what each step means is a great way to pack in information.

The thing that could really be improved here is there’s essentially two paths that end in ‘don’t put your business on Pinterest’ — “Don’t Bother” and “Try Other Social Media Options”. And there’s also two that end in ‘try Pinterest’ — “Why Aren’t You On Pinterest Yet?” and “Give Pinterest A Try”. For a chart this simple, we would recommend that there’s only two endpoints to the chart.

5. Design Process

This chart about the design process is beautifully designed, and the color coordination of blue = yes and red = no is a really clear way to guide people through this at-a-glance.

But what makes this stand out is the integration of a clear, linear timeline comprised of several different flowcharts that come together in this piece. The line running through the middle represents all parts of the design process, and each is elaborated further to the left and right.

This chart is also a good example of having whimsical touches without overwhelming content. The creator, Noura Assif , included symbols and illustrations that make this flowchart nice to look at without turning it into a circus.

6. Sending the Right Email

This chart explaining  email marketing is a simple questionnaire that helps people decide how to structure an email campaign. The real prize here is the explanation of types of emails and more information about how to make those emails effective.

And yes, this could have just been written out. But making this into a flowchart adds interest and makes the content here much more dynamic. Not to mention, a chart is more likely to become an evergreen tool than a written piece. People can easily save a graphic, but don’t often return to bookmarked articles.

What we would have liked to see was a bit more pop. The grayscale feels tired and the text that’s giving the meat of the advice doesn’t pop off of the text boxes. The random yellow line at the top should also probably go — a good reminder to have someone double check your final design.

7. Political Scandals

This chart from Slate is a cheeky way of showcasing political hypocrisy. You can easily imagine a simple statistic like “only x% of politicians who were embroiled in a scandal resigned,” but seeing side-by-side examples really hammers home the point: there’s not a lot of rhyme or reason to who survives the scandal.

The choose your own adventure form works well here because the flowchart adds an element of satire in and of itself. That’s the kind of punch you can get from thinking about your message as content rather than writing.

8. What Form of Communication Do I Use If…

This flowchart is another one that has good copy and content, but suffers from a low-contrast color scheme. The chart itself is a playful way of saying you can’t just Gchat everyone everything — but it’s more humorous than it would be if it were, say, a two-thousand-word “think piece”.

But its low readability and confusing design really let the concept down. There are too many lines, too little contrast, and too many random graphics that don’t add value and just clutter up the space . Even changing the background to stark white would be a big improvement.

One last thing that could be improved — and something you should watch out for — is all those crisscrossed lines. It can make it difficult to see where lines are going and coming from, and if they’re supposed to intersect with other options. A classic way to circumvent this visual confusion is to break up the straight line with a half circle where it intersects with another.

10. Does Your Horse Need a Blanket?

This chart from Auburn Dept. of Animal Sciences is a great example of how to blend humor and actual information. While some previous examples used the flowchart as a lighthearted medium for a larger concept (like the tech jargon chart), this one is a good example of blending humor and information in a highly effective way.

That being said, they don’t nail the color scheme. It’s not super clear if each color has a specific meaning. They might have been better off sticking with colors for “your horse needs a blanket” and “your horse does not need a blanket”, rather than trying to somehow separate a bunch of different topics through color coordination.

11. How to Have a Rational Discussion

From mansplaining to internet troll fights, poor discussion is everywhere, and this chart aims to correct that. What we like about this chart is that it’s jam-packed with information, but it still feels organized and easy to follow as you select yes or no. Each point is clearly explained, and it even comes with an “introductory paragraph” and a “conclusion” — making it a full argument in and of itself.

We also like that they weren’t afraid to put a little personality in this chart with the copy, while keeping the chart itself clean and legible. But we could do without that weird white figurine — adding graphics is fine, but they should enhance the content, and this is neither informational nor aesthetically pleasing.

12. So You Want to Buy an Election?

Even at a glance, this chart is super clean and readable. We love that they use both different colors and different shapes to represent different parts of their flowchart — this is a common technique that is standard practice for making flowcharts that a lot of people overlook.

The organization of the arrows here is also very well done — it’s easy to tell where each arrow goes and what options are coming up. There aren’t any ambiguous crossovers or symbols that make this hard to read. As a bonus, the copy is light but informative. Overall this is a winning flowchart.

13. Need to Pick an Insurance Plan?

This is a great example of a killer idea for a flowchart that just couldn’t quite make it happen. Everything starts out well, and we like that there’s a progression downwards through the chart instead of having the choose your own adventure spiral outwards. There’s a bit of humor in there to spice up the unsexy prospect of deciding on an insurance plan.

But the information is squished and some of the lines are hard to follow. It’s nice to have something feel hand-drawn, but when you’re trying to pack as much actual information in as this chart does, it’s imperative that things are easy to follow. While it’s good that they’re trying to make insurance plans a bit more lively, sometimes utility has to come first.

Linear Representations

Flowcharts are great for making a representation of a series of actions or decisions that have a linear connection or process. This can be a way of organizing an argument, like you’ll see with the net neutrality chart, or it can be a way of laying out each step in a sequential process, like the website launch chart.

The key with linear representation charts is giving a lot of thought into the organization of the chart . When you’re representing a process, ample space, color coordination and a clear progression of getting from point A to point B are what make your chart worthwhile.

14. Net Neutrality

This chart on net neutrality is both a way of making an argument and a way of showing a linear sequence of consequences, albeit somewhat facetious ones. But it’s extremely effective, because the argument is that net neutrality will be bad for your enjoyment of the web, and this chart shows that, without getting into any giant paragraphs about corporations and bottlenecks and so on and so forth.

The bold colors also work well here, and, if it weren’t obvious from the text of the chart, you could probably get which position the chart maker thinks is the better one without reading a word. In contrast to some of the previous charts we’ve seen, this uses color to enhance the point.

15. Website Launch

This chart on launching a website is a great resource. Each section is split by color coding, which makes it easy to see the phases of the project. There’re suggestions about when to get client approval and when to have meetings, specifics on what types of materials you need for each stage, and all this in just a few boxes and arrows.

To write out all of this information — say, with bullet points under subheadings — would take up a lot more space and would encourage people to scroll through it quickly. While we can see that using this in a piece of content could include explanation and tips in writing, the fact of the matter is that the chart does the bulk of the work .

Hybrid Flowcharts

When you’re making a flowchart, you don’t need to stick to just one format or type to display your argument. Once you’re comfortable with making clear flowcharts, you should feel free to get creative and ramp up your flowchart abilities to combine different styles.

There are a lot of hybrid flowcharts out there, but we’ve only selected one example because they aren’t nearly as common as the other types of flowcharts we’ve seen here today. However, they are valuable, and if you can master the flowchart, going hybrid will make you a true expert.

16. How to Change a Habit

This chart combines several different elements that we’ve already seen. There’s a linear element of each step in sequence, and there’s the linear representation of what happens in each step. But there’s also little mini charts inside steps two and three that need to be completed before their linear progress finishes.

While not every flowchart needs to combine different styles or be complicated, if you’re going to do it, take a cue from this chart and keep things simple: plenty of space between elements, simple color scheme and symbols that are easy to follow.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Of course, when we’re talking about how graphics, charts, gifs, and anything else can enhance content, we’re not just talking about the presentation of business information. Flowcharts can be used in humorous ways, and adding a quick joke into your article with a funny flowchart is a lot more doable for most people than, say, drawing an original comic or finding that one scene from The Office that would be just perfect but isn’t on YouTube!!!

You’ve probably seen some more lighthearted flowcharts in your time, but here are three examples that show different ways you can bring something extra to the party.

17. Should You Say Goodbye at a Party

This charming chart by Wendy MacNaughton is a fresh take on whether or not you should make rounds and say goodbye or do the classic Irish goodbye and just leave. Creating or finding a flowchart that’s lighthearted but still well-made and easy to follow can be a good way to inject levity, spur shares, or endear readers to your point of view.

A note of caution here is to make sure that your images are tonally appropriate. The handwritten feel and rougher appearance do well for this chart, but it’s not the easiest thing to read. If you’re giving a presentation to your boss or representing your company, you want to nail the content and the presentation, which means paying attention to things like fonts.

18. How to Play Pictionary

This chart is a classic example of how having only a few elements can make a strong point, and can add to your content. There’s any number of frustrations, processes and jokes that can be played out with just a few nodes that take almost no time to make but represent a huge boost to how engaging your content is .

After all, nobody these days has the attention span to read through huge chunks of text. We’re looking for images, charts, jokes, even a set of bullet points to break things up and keep us in an article.

19. A Wildly Detailed 100 Year Plan for Getting Humans to Mars

We couldn’t write a listicle on flowcharts and not include this gem. The “ Integrated Space Plan ” is an insanely complex chart that takes you through all the steps it will take for humans to expand society into the cosmos.

This is, in some ways, a cautionary tale. We would recommend giving each part of the chart it’s own chart, with a key that indicates it is part of a larger scheme, instead of shoving all of this together. That is, in terms of true functionality, this clearly fails.

But in another way, it’s a great example of how you can make a point about complexity and the difficulty of a topic you’re talking about. Using a flowchart to do that would be a very effective way of showing why, for example, a particular approach was too labor intensive.

It is also an aesthetic object beyond whatever information it holds. It’s a good reminder, as was our first flowchart, that sometimes stepping back and looking at how your chart appears as a whole is a necessary step to create something that’s enjoyable to interact with on more than just the informational level.

Get Started

There are a lot of tools out there to create flowcharts. To get you started, here are some flowchart creators, including some, like Gliffy, that were used to make the charts in today’s post:

• Concept Draw
• Breeze Tree

Of course, you can also use pen and paper, pretty much any simple drawing program, or another method that strikes your fancy. Whatever you use, make sure to take your time, have fun, and play around with the different ways you can structure your arguments, jokes, and other content through flowcharts.

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• Problem management: 8 steps to better p ...

Problem management: 8 steps to better problem solving

Problem management is an 8 step framework most commonly used by IT teams. You can use problem management to solve for repeating major incidents. By organizing and structuring your problem solving, you can more effectively get to the root cause of high-impact problems—and devise a solution. Solving the root cause prevents recurrence and creates a repeatable solution to use on similar errors in the future.

In an IT department, errors and mishaps are part of the job. You can't always control these problems, but you can control how you respond to them with problem management. Problem management helps you solve larger problems and reduce the risk that they’ll happen again by identifying all connected problems, solving them, and planning for the future.

What is problem management?

Problem management is an 8 step framework most commonly used by IT teams. Your team can use problem management to solve for repeating major incidents. By organizing and structuring your problem solving, you can more effectively get to the root cause of high-impact problems—and devise a solution. Problem management is a process—used mostly by IT teams—to identify, react, and respond to issues. It’s not for every problem, but it’s a useful response when multiple major incidents occur that cause large work interruptions. Unlike problem solving, problem management goes beyond the initial incident to discover and dissect the root causes, preventing future incidents with permanent solutions.

The goals of problem management are to:

Prevent problems before they start.

Solve for repetitive errors.

Lessen each incident’s impact. 

Problem management vs. incident management 

Example: Someone leaves their unprotected laptop in a coffee shop, causing a security breach. The security team can use incident management to solve for this one, isolated event. In this case, the team could manually shut down the accounts connected to that laptop. If this continues to happen, IT would use problem management to solve the root of this issue—perhaps installing more security features on each company laptop so that if employees lose them, no one else can access the information.

Problem management vs. problem solving

While similar in name, problem management differs slightly from problem-solving. Problem management focuses on every aspect of the incident—identifying the root cause of the problem, solving it, and prevention. Problem solving is, as the name implies, focused solely on the solution step. 

Example: You’re launching a new password management system when it crashes—again. You don’t know if anything leaked, but you know it could contain confidential information. Plus, it’s happened before. You start the problem management process to ensure it doesn’t happen again. In that process, you’ll use problem solving as a step to fix the issue. In this case, perhaps securing confidential information before you try to launch a new software.

Problem management vs. change management 

Change management targets large transitions within your workplace, good and bad. These inevitable changes aren’t always negative, so you can’t always apply problem management as a solution. That’s where change management comes in—a framework that helps you adjust to any new scenario.

Example: Your company is transitioning to a new cloud platform. The transition happens incident-free—meaning you won’t need problem management—but you can ease the transition by implementing some change management best practices. Preparing and training team members in the new software is a good place to start.

Problem management vs. project management

Project management is the framework for larger collections of work. It’s the overarching method for how you work on any project, hit goals, and get results. You can use project management to help you with problem management, but they are not the same thing. Problem management and project management work together to solve issues as part of your problem management process.

Example: During problem management, you uncover a backend security issue that needs to be addressed—employees are using storage software with outdated security measures. To solve this, you create a project and outline the tasks from start to finish. In this case, you might need to alert senior executives, get approval to remove the software, and alert employees. You create a project schedule with a defined timeline and assign the tasks to relevant teams. In this process, you identified a desired outcome—remove the unsafe software—and solved it. That’s project management.

The 8 steps of problem management

It’s easy to get upset when problems occur. In fact, it’s totally normal. But an emotional response is not always the best response when faced with new incidents. Having a reliable system—such as problem management—removes the temptation to respond emotionally. Proactive project management gives your team a framework for problem solving. It’s an iterative process —the more you use it, the more likely you are to have fewer problems, faster response times, and better outputs. 

1. Identify the problem

During problem identification, you’re looking at the present—what’s happening right now? Here, you’ll define what the incident is and its scale. Is this a small, quick-fix, or a full overhaul? Consider using problem framing to define, prioritize, and understand the obstacles involved with these more complex problems. 

2. Diagnose the cause

Use problem analysis or root cause analysis to strategically look at the cause of a problem. Follow the trail of issues all the way back to its beginnings.

To diagnose the underlying cause, you’ll want to answer:

What factors or conditions led to the incident?

Do you see related incidents? Could those be coming from the same source?

Did someone miss a step? Are processes responsible for this problem?

3. Organize and prioritize

Now it’s time to build out your framework. Use an IT project plan to organize information in a space where everyone can make and see updates in real time. The easiest way to do this is with a project management tool where you can input ‌tasks, assign deadlines, and add dependencies to ensure nothing gets missed. To better organize your process, define:

What needs to be done? 

Who’s responsible for each aspect? If no one is, can we assign someone? 

When does each piece need to be completed?

What is the final number of incidents related to this problem?

Are any of these tasks dependent on another one? Do you need to set up dependencies ?

What are your highest priorities? How do they affect our larger business goals ? 

How should you plan for this in the future?

4. Create a workaround

If the incident has stopped work or altered it, you might need to create a workaround. This is not always necessary, but temporary workarounds can keep work on track and avoid backlog while you go through the problem management steps. When these workarounds are especially effective, you can make them permanent processes.

5. Update your known error database

Every time an incident occurs, create a known error record and add it to your known error database (KEDB). Recording incidents helps you catch recurrences and logs the solution, so you know how to solve similar errors in the future. 

6. Pause for change management (if necessary)

Larger, high-impact problems might require change management. For example, if you realize the problem’s root cause is a lack of staff, you might dedicate team members to help. You can use change management to help them transition their responsibilities, see how these new roles fit in with the entire team, and determine how they will collaborate moving forward.

7. Solve the problem

This is the fun part—you get to resolve problems. At this stage, you should know exactly what you’re dealing with and the steps you need to take. But remember—with problem management, it’s not enough to solve the current problem. You’ll want to take any steps to prevent this from happening again in the future. That could mean hiring a new role to cover gaps in workflows , investing in new softwares and tools, or training staff on best practices to prevent these types of incidents.

Read: Turn your team into skilled problem solvers with these problem-solving strategies

8. Reflect on the process

The problem management process has the added benefit of recording the process in its entirety, so you can review it in the future. Once you’ve solved the problem, take the time to review each step and reflect on the lessons learned during this process. Make note of who was involved, what you needed, and any opportunities to improve your response to the next incident. After you go through the problem management process a few times and understand the basic steps, stakeholders, workload, and resources you need, create a template to make the kickoff process easier in the future.

5 benefits of problem management

Problem management helps you discover every piece of the problem—from the current scenario down to its root cause. Not only does this have an immediate positive impact on the current issue at hand, it also promotes collaboration and helps to build a better product overall. 

Here are five other ways ‌problem management can benefit your team:

Avoids repeat incidents. When you manage the entire incident from start to finish, you will address the foundational problems that caused it. This leads to fewer repeat incidents.

Boosts cross-functional collaboration. Problem management is a collaborative process. One incident might require collaboration from IT, the security team, and legal. Depending on the level of the problem, it might trickle all the way back down to the product or service team, where core changes need to be made.

Creates a better user experience. It’s simple—the fewer incidents you have, the better your customer’s experience will be. Reducing incidents means fewer delays, downtime, and frustrations for your users, and a higher rate of customer satisfaction.

Improves response time. As you develop a flow and framework with a project management process, you’ll be better equipped to handle future incidents—even if they’re different scenarios.

Organizes problem solving. Problem management provides a structured, thoughtful approach to solving problems. This reduces impulsive responses and helps you keep a better problem record of incidents and solutions.

Problem management leads to better, faster solutions

IT teams will always have to deal with incidents, but they don’t have to be bogged down by them. That’s because problem management works. Whether you employ a full problem management team or choose to apply these practices to your current IT infrastructure, problem management—especially when combined with a project management tool—saves you time and effort down the road.

With IT project plans, we’ve made it easier than ever to track your problem management work in a shared tool. Try our free IT project template to see your work come together, effortlessly.

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