No. 333 · Fixing problems · General Thinking
Reframe the Problem
Changing the question can turn an impossible problem into a solvable one.
In the Almanac
“The Gossamer Condor”, 1977 · “Rolls-Royce”, 1960s–2000s
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Reframe the Problem?
Reframe the Problem means stepping back to redefine the challenge before trying to solve it. The way a problem is first described often hides its best answers, so asking what the real goal is can open new routes.
How do you use Reframe the Problem?
Use it by asking what a request is really for, reframing arguments around shared needs and turning goals into systems of small habits. Just make sure a reframe is tested against the real goal, not used to dodge hard work.
When does Reframe the Problem matter?
Reframe the Problem is one of the 40 mental models for fixing problems, the situations where you ask: Why does this keep going wrong, and how do I fix it for good? Within that, it belongs to “Finding the real cause”, alongside Black Box, First Principles Thinking and Inversion.
What is an example of Reframe the Problem?
Two stories show it at work: The Gossamer Condor (1977) and Rolls-Royce (1960s–2000s). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Reframe the Problem?
Framing, Jobs to be Done and Incentives. Reframe the Problem itself comes from general thinking.