Welcome Back.
Twenty-five days in. Three days from the finish line.
Today we cover something that separates professionals who use AI for basic tasks from professionals who use AI to genuinely think better.
Problem solving.
Not writing emails. Not formatting reports. Not summarising meetings.
Thinking through the hard stuff. The messy, complicated, politically sensitive, high-stakes challenges that keep you awake at 2am and sit unresolved on your mental to-do list for weeks.
AI is an extraordinary thinking partner for exactly these situations. And yet almost nobody uses it this way.
By the end of today you will have a clear, repeatable process for bringing any complex workplace problem to AI — and walking away with clarity, options, and a path forward.
Fifteen minutes. Let's think.
Why Complex Problems Stay Unsolved
Most difficult workplace problems don't stay unsolved because you lack the knowledge to solve them.
They stay unsolved because of three things:
Thinking alone is hard. When you are inside a problem — emotionally involved, under pressure, with incomplete information — it is very difficult to think clearly and objectively about it. You go in circles.
Getting good advice is hard. You can't always talk to a colleague because of confidentiality. Your manager may be part of the problem. A consultant costs money and takes time. Your spouse is tired of hearing about it.
Seeing the full picture is hard. We all have blind spots. Our experience, while valuable, can also cause us to approach every new problem the way we solved the last one — even when the situations are different.
AI solves all three of these. It is infinitely patient, completely confidential, has no stake in the outcome, and has been trained on an enormous breadth of human knowledge about how organisations, people, and systems work.
It will not make the decision for you. But it will help you think far more clearly than you could alone.
The Problem Solving Framework: 4 Conversations With AI
The key insight is this: don't treat AI problem solving as one question and one answer. Treat it as a structured conversation across 4 stages.
Conversation 1: Define the Problem Clearly
Most people think they know what their problem is. Usually they are describing a symptom, not the actual problem.
Start here:
"I want to think through a workplace challenge. Here is the situation: [describe it in as much detail as you're comfortable sharing]. Before we discuss solutions, help me make sure I'm solving the right problem. What is the core issue here? Are there underlying causes I might be overlooking?"
This first step alone is enormously valuable. AI will often reflect back a clearer version of your problem than the one you described — and occasionally identify a root cause you hadn't seen.
Conversation 2: Explore Your Options
Once the problem is clearly defined, generate options — not just the ones you've already thought of.
"Now that we've defined the problem as [restate what emerged from Conversation 1], what are all the possible ways I could approach this? Give me at least 6 options, including some I might not have considered. Don't evaluate them yet — just generate them."
The instruction "don't evaluate yet, just generate" is important. It forces a wider search before narrowing. You will almost always find at least one option in the list that surprises you.
Conversation 3: Stress-Test Your Preferred Approach
By now you probably have a preferred option — either one AI suggested or one you already had in mind. Now challenge it.
"I'm leaning towards [your preferred option]. Play devil's advocate. What are the strongest arguments against this approach? What could go wrong? What am I probably not seeing from inside this situation?"
This is where AI earns its place as a strategic thinking partner. Having your plan challenged before you act is far less painful than having it fail after.
Conversation 4: Build Your Action Plan
Now you have clarity. Turn it into a concrete next step.
"Based on our discussion, help me build a simple action plan for moving forward. What are the first 3 steps I should take? What should I do in the next 24 hours, the next week, and the next month? Keep it practical and realistic."
You started with a messy, unresolved challenge. You end with a clear path forward. That is the power of structured AI-assisted problem solving.
6 Types of Workplace Problems AI Handles Brilliantly
People and Team Problems
Staff conflict. Underperformance. Difficult personalities. Team morale. These are the problems that consume the most emotional energy.
"I have a situation with two team members who are in conflict and it is affecting the whole team's performance. Here is what I know about the situation: [describe it]. Help me think through how to approach this as a leader — what to do, what to say, and what outcome to aim for."
AI will not tell you what your colleagues are thinking. But it will help you approach the situation with far more clarity and composure than if you went in reactive.
Strategic Decisions
Should we expand? Should we change suppliers? Should we invest in this system? Should I take this job offer? Big decisions with incomplete information and real consequences.
"I need to make a decision about [describe the decision]. Here are the facts I know: [list them]. Here are the uncertainties: [list them]. Help me think through this decision systematically. What framework would help? What questions should I be asking that I'm not?"
Organisational and Process Problems
Why is this process always breaking down? Why do we keep having the same problem? Why is this team consistently underperforming?
"We keep experiencing this recurring problem in our organisation: [describe it]. We have tried [list what you've tried]. Help me think about why the same problem keeps recurring and what a more permanent solution might look like."
Client and Stakeholder Problems
Difficult clients. Unrealistic expectations. Relationships that have broken down. Stakeholders who are blocking progress.
"I have a challenging situation with a client/stakeholder: [describe it]. The relationship is important and I don't want to lose it, but the current dynamic is unsustainable. Help me think through how to reset this relationship professionally."
Career Crossroads
Promotion decisions. Job offers. Career pivots. Whether to stay or go. These are deeply personal — but structured thinking helps enormously.
"I am facing a career decision: [describe it]. These are the factors pulling me in each direction: [list them]. I am not asking you to decide for me — but help me think through this more clearly. What questions should I be asking myself? What might I be avoiding thinking about?"
Crisis and Damage Control
Something has gone wrong. A project has failed. A client is furious. An error has been made publicly. How do you respond?
"Something has gone wrong in my organisation: [describe what happened]. I need to think through how to respond — to my team, to affected stakeholders, and to prevent it happening again. Help me think through the response, not just the immediate fix."
Real Problem Solving Scenarios By Industry
School administrators:
"Student discipline cases have increased significantly this term and my teachers are frustrated and burned out. I've tried more assemblies and stricter rules but nothing is working. Help me think about what might actually be causing this and what a more effective approach might look like."
Business owners:
"My business has good revenue but cash flow is always tight. I'm constantly stressed about payroll even when we're busy. I've tried chasing invoices harder but the problem persists. Help me think through the root causes and what I might be missing."
HR professionals:
"We are losing our best mid-level employees at a worrying rate. Exit interviews give vague answers. Salaries are competitive. Help me think through what questions I should be asking and what might really be driving this."
Operations managers:
"Our delivery performance has been declining for three months despite no obvious change in our processes. Management is asking for answers. Help me think through a structured approach to diagnosing the root cause before I present recommendations."
Healthcare managers:
"Staff morale in my department has been low since we implemented a new rostering system six months ago. Complaints are increasing and two good nurses have resigned. Help me think through this situation carefully before deciding how to respond."
What AI Cannot Do In Problem Solving
Being honest with you is important here.
AI does not know the people involved. It cannot read the politics of your specific organisation. It cannot sense the history between you and a difficult colleague, or know that your CEO responds badly to being challenged directly, or understand that a particular process problem has a very human explanation that nobody has ever written down.
You bring all of that. AI brings structure, breadth, and the objectivity of having no emotional stake in the outcome.
The best problem solving with AI is a genuine collaboration — your context and judgment, AI's structure and perspective. Neither alone is as powerful as both together.
Today's Key Takeaways
- AI is a powerful thinking partner for complex workplace problems — not just a task-completion tool
- Use 4 structured conversations: define the problem, explore options, stress-test your approach, build your action plan
- AI works best on problems where you need objectivity, breadth of options, and structured thinking
- Always bring your own context and judgment — AI provides structure, you provide truth
- Problems that have sat unresolved for weeks can often be clarified in one honest 15-minute conversation with AI
Your 15-Minute Action For Today
Think of one problem — at work or in your professional life — that has been sitting unresolved. Something you've been circling without clarity.
Open ChatGPT or Claude. Start with Conversation 1:
"I want to think through a workplace challenge. Here is the situation: [describe it]. Before we discuss solutions, help me make sure I'm solving the right problem. What is the core issue here? What underlying causes might I be overlooking?"
Read what comes back carefully. You may be surprised at how clearly it reflects your situation — and how useful it is to have it reflected back to you from the outside.
You don't have to act on anything today. Just think. That is enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment