Intro

Welcome back to this weeks edition of The Encrypted Digest. In every corner of our lives, from the professional to the personal, we are problem solvers. We navigate complex mazes, decide which turns to take, and discover shortcuts along the way. But what if we could elevate this natural instinct into a refined skill?

Think about it. You're running late for work and the fuel gauge in your car is perilously close to empty. Your mind instantly begins to weigh the risk of stopping for gas against the potential repercussions of being late. You're troubleshooting. Or when you find yourself mediating a conflict between colleagues or friends, you're applying conflict resolution techniques, determining the root cause, and working towards a solution. You're problem-solving.

In every sense, we are engineers of our own lives. But when it comes to technical fields like technology, engineering, or cybersecurity, the same process that we employ every day somehow seems more daunting, more obscure….it’s not.

This week, I want to bring the process of problem-solving and troubleshooting out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Too often, we fall into the trap of rushing to a solution without truly understanding the problem or asking the right questions. So, let's take a pause. Let's unravel the complexities and approach it one step at a time, combining logical reasoning with a spark of creativity. Get ready to embark on a journey of transforming instinctive problem-solving into a mastered skill. For personal or Tech/Career related lets get into it.

Breakdown

1. Understanding the Problem: This initial stage involves gathering as much information as possible about the issue at hand. It includes understanding the symptoms, recreating the problem (if possible), and identifying any changes that occurred before the issue started. You can also discuss the importance of asking the right questions to get the fullest picture of the problem.

2. Defining the Scope: Once you have a good understanding of the issue, it's crucial to determine its extent. Is the problem isolated or widespread? How is it impacting the system or business operations? This stage helps in deciding the urgency and direction of the solution.

3. Analyzing and Prioritizing: Here, you'll delve into the heart of the problem. You will apply analytical skills to determine the possible causes, assess their likelihood, and prioritize which to address first. Discuss here the concept of Occam's Razor (the simplest explanation is often the correct one), and emphasize on testing the most probable cause before moving to the less likely ones.

4. Developing and Implementing the Solution: Once the cause is determined, it's time to formulate a solution, test it, and implement it. Discuss the importance of creating a plan that minimizes impact to the system or users, as well as the need for a backup or rollback plan in case the solution doesn't work as intended.

5. Verifying and Documenting: After the solution is implemented, it's important to verify its effectiveness. Is the problem truly resolved? Are there any side effects? Lastly, discuss the importance of documentation for future reference and for improving systems to prevent similar issues.

The above is a small breakdown of what you can expect here moving forward. It’s an insight on how I like to troubleshoot. Its not full encompassing yet so lets breakdown each area a bit.

Understanding the Problem

Let’s imagine a situation: You’re standing before a burning house—a 2-story building with plumes of black smoke rising, and you can see flames licking at the first floor. You are the officer in charge, and a team of firefighters is gearing up, waiting for your orders.

Now, you might be thinking, “I’m not a firefighter—how would I know what to do?” That's fair. But what's your version of a burning building situation? If you’re a leader, have you ever faced a crisis you had to navigate without fully understanding the problem? Or perhaps you're part of a team, and your boss has just given you a complex task that you're trying to unpack.

Here’s the first step you should be taking: a walk-around, a 360, a size-up. Regardless of the term, it's about understanding the problem in its entirety. Once you understand then you can starting asking the right questions.

Reflection Point: Take a moment to think about a recent problem or challenge you've faced in your role. Did you dive straight in? Or did you take the time to understand the full scope of the problem? How could a 'walk-around' approach have made a difference?

Defining the Scope

Once you've gathered all necessary information about the problem, it's time to understand its magnitude. The scope of an issue might vary widely: Is it an isolated incident affecting a single component or a more pervasive problem impacting your entire operation?

Imagine this: You're the IT manager in a sizable organization and users are reporting slow internet connections. Are these complaints coming from a specific department or scattered throughout the entire organization? If it's isolated to one department, perhaps they're all connected to the same malfunctioning network switch. But if it's company-wide, you might be dealing with an internet service provider issue or a larger infrastructure problem.

Defining the scope will not only help you decide the urgency of the solution but also guide you in deciding the appropriate course of action. By pinpointing the extent of the issue, you can prioritize your resources and energy effectively.

Reflection Point: Think of a recent problem you faced at work. Did you take time to assess the scope of the issue before trying to resolve it? How might understanding the scope of the problem influence your approach in the future?

Analyzing and Prioritizing

Once the scope of the problem is well-defined, the next step involves delving into the heart of the issue. This stage requires the application of analytical skills to determine possible causes, assess their likelihood, and prioritize which ones to address first.

Think of it like this: you're a software engineer and your application has suddenly started crashing. Possible causes could be recent code changes, server issues, or even a third-party API behaving unexpectedly. According to the principle of Occam's Razor not to be confused with Hanlon’s, the simplest explanation is often the correct one, so start by examining the most probable causes—recent code changes—before moving on to less likely scenarios. This approach not only saves time but also resources.

Develop and Implement the Solution

Once you've analyzed and prioritized, the next phase is to devise a suitable solution, test it, and then implement it. Note depending if you have a specific reporting structure you may need to share this with your colleagues or leadership.

Let's say you're a network administrator and you've determined that a faulty router is causing connectivity issues. The solution is to replace the router. But before you do, you need to consider how to minimize the impact on users. Can you do it after hours or during a lunch break? What if the new router doesn't work as expected? Do you have a backup or a rollback plan? These are essential considerations to ensure a smooth transition.

Verify and Document

After implementing the solution, it's crucial to confirm its effectiveness. Did it actually resolve the issue? Did it introduce any new problems?

For instance, you've replaced the faulty router from our previous example and connectivity has been restored. However, are the network speeds back to normal across all connected devices? Has the replacement triggered any other network issues? A comprehensive check is important to confirm that the problem is truly resolved.

Once verification is done, don't forget about documentation. Documenting the issue, its cause, the implemented solution, and its outcome serves as a valuable reference for similar issues in the future. It also contributes to the continuous improvement of systems and processes within your organization.

Time-lining

Whether tackling specific scenarios or navigating more complex problems, I often find myself resorting to a timeline theory—a mental framework that helps me map the path to a solution. This approach, while particularly personal to me, can be beneficial to many. To illustrate its effectiveness and versatility, let's lay it out again.

Imagine each step in the troubleshooting process as a marker on a timeline. You begin at the starting point: recognizing the problem. The next marker represents the stage of understanding the problem, gathering information, and asking the right questions to understand its nature and origins. Further along the timeline, you define the scope—considering whether the problem is an isolated event or part of a larger issue. Your journey along the timeline then leads you to analysis and prioritization, where you sift through potential causes and decide which to tackle first.

As you near the end of your timeline, you've reached the development and implementation of a solution. Here, the road may fork, reflecting multiple paths to a solution, testing each one, and having a backup plan ready in case the initial solution doesn't pan out as expected. Finally, you arrive at the last marker, verifying the effectiveness of your solution and documenting everything for future reference.

This timeline visualization provides a helpful framework for troubleshooting. Each step represents progress and brings you closer to the resolution of the problem. It ensures you're methodically approaching the issue and leaves no stone unturned in your pursuit of a solution.

Final Thoughts

From the laboratories of scientists to the courtrooms of lawyers, from the precincts of police officers to the firehouses of firefighters, from the cubicles of entry-level employees to the corner offices of senior leaders, and in the homes of parents navigating the labyrinth of life—problem solving and troubleshooting are universal processes that permeate every aspect of our existence.

Regardless of the magnitude or minuteness of the challenge at hand, each one of us is a troubleshooter, an explorer navigating uncharted territories of dilemmas, seeking solutions in the vast landscapes of the unknown. We wrestle with the subtle nuances of everyday conundrums, decoding the complex syntax of life's quandaries.

Troubleshooting, in essence, is a testament to our shared human resilience and creativity, a manifestation of our innate desire to improve, to adapt, and to overcome. Remember, each problem you encounter is an opportunity in disguise—an opportunity to learn, grow, and evolve.

So, when confronted with your next 'burning building', remember the steps we've discussed today. Take a deep breath, assess the situation, define its scope, analyze, prioritize, develop a solution, implement, and always document.

No matter how formidable the problem may seem, you have within you an untapped reservoir of ingenuity and persistence, waiting to transform challenges into victories. With every problem solved, you don't just resolve an issue; you hone your skills, refine your character, and elevate your understanding of the world.

Keep troubleshooting. Keep learning. And keep growing. Because every problem you face, big or small, is a stepping stone on your path to growth, success, and self-improvement.

Friday Fun

Ready for a thought experiment to take you into the weekend? Today, I’m introducing "The Warehouse Puzzle". This is a mental game I like to do to keep me sharp with different scenarios. Imagine this scenario:

You're a cybersecurity consultant, and your client has informed you that one of their physical servers, located in a warehouse, has been behaving unusually. They suspect foul play but can't provide you with the exact location of the warehouse due to a series of administrative mix-ups. All they can provide are a few clues, and it's up to you to determine the warehouse's location.

Here are the clues:

1. The warehouse is within a city known for its significant tech industry presence.

2. It's located within a 5-mile radius of a major airport.

3. The server timestamps correspond to the Eastern Standard Time (EST) zone.

4. The warehouse isn't in a city that is a state capital.

Based on these clues, can you figure out the most likely city where the warehouse is located?

Give it some thought and see what you come up with. This mental exercise is a fun way to sharpen your problem-solving skills and indulge your inner detective. Want the answer? Visit twitter, and I’ll reveal it there(link below).