Major Factors, Major Issues
Focus analysis on the few major factors driving a situation and the major issues that stem from them, ignoring subtleties unless they become major.
THE IDEA
Major Factors, Major Issues
First, nearly all situations, even the more complex and dynamic, are driven by only a few major factors. Factors are things, circumstances, or conditions that cause something to happen. Factors, in turn, beget issues, which are points or questions to be disputed or decided.
Consider an accident involving two cars. The major factors (the circumstances that caused the accident) are such things as reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to yield the right-of-way, excessive speed, mechanical failure, and so on. The major issues (the points to be disputed or decided) are derived from such factors as: Who was driving each car? How fast were they driving? Had they been drinking alcoholic beverages? Did they violate any laws? And so on. Factors beget issues; issues stem from factors.
Major factors and major issues are the navigational aids of analysis; they tell us where our analysis should be headed. And they will normally change as we become aware of new information and gain a deeper understanding of the problem. If we lose sight of them, we lose our way in the analytic process.
We should concentrate our analytic efforts on the major factors and issues. Studying subtleties (lesser factors and issues), incorporating them into our analysis, and weighing their impact on the situation and its possible outcomes are usually a waste of time because subtleties never play a significant role. We should analyze subtleties only to the point where we recognize them for what they are. “But subtleties,” you say, “can be important.” I disagree. If a subtlety is important, it is, by definition, no longer a subtlety; it’s a major factor or issue and should be treated as such.
Oddly enough, people have great difficulty in articulating major factors in a given situation. What they tend to do is identify factors that come immediately to mind, that is, factors that are important to them but are not necessarily a driving force in the situation. Identifying major factors is not a congenital skill but is acquired only through practice and trial and error. The more one does it the better one does it.
The first insight, therefore, is to create at the outset and maintain throughout the problem-solving process a list of major factors and issues, adding and deleting items as necessary.
When to use it
Diagnosing the root causes of a business problem
Deciding which issues to focus on in a negotiation
Prioritizing tasks in project management by impact
Analyzing a personal dilemma to avoid overthinking minor details
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Car Accident Analysis
In analyzing a two-car accident, major factors include reckless driving, DUI, failure to yield, speeding, mechanical failure. Major issues from those factors: who was driving, speed, alcohol use, law violations. Subtleties like the color of the cars are ignored unless they become major (e.g., color affecting visibility).
Business Strategy Review
When a company's profits decline, major factors might be increased competition, rising costs, or decreased demand. Major issues: pricing strategy, cost reduction, market expansion. Subtle factors like office morale are only considered if they become significant drivers.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What are the top 3 factors driving the current challenge you are facing?
Have you been distracted by subtleties that do not change outcomes?
How can you systematically identify major factors rather than just what is top of mind?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Thinkers Toolkit by Morgan D Jones