Problem Selection ​

The number of problems that can be solved is huge. However, not all problems need to be solved! For example, in software code, there may be an annoying bug that affects 0.5% of users, does not hinder the functionality, and fixing it would require disproportionately large efforts from the development team. It is unlikely that the team will fix this bug. Perhaps it will disappear when the team rewrites the entire code. Or maybe you will have to live with it for an indefinite time - or stop using the service if it is too annoying. In personal life, there may also be problems that are not solved because the individual has accepted them (or because they do not see them, it's a "blind spot").

How do we select problems? Most often with the help of the first signaling system S1. We will select those problems that cause us the greatest discomfort, especially in the short term (in the moment, focus, on the sprint scale, etc.). Those discomforting issues that are visible to us, which have a priority from a biological point of view. Recall the list of attention objects that we automatically focus on because of S1:

• They are often encountered, familiar, and known (the brain easily identifies them);
• They are associated with objects we have seen before;
• They correspond to the background, are expected;
• They represent some change, new information (new inputs);
• They have a priority from a biological point of view (threatening, sexual stimuli);
• They are related to us;
• They are related to unfinished business (where the dot is not put);
• They are connected to some mystery.

Thus, problems will be selected not "rationally", but primarily based on the criterion of "strong discomfort." This can lead to certain distortions. For example, a team rushes to solve the problems of a client who is shouting the loudest, although according to internal prioritization rules, they should have completed the current work before attending to the client through technical support.

We can intervene in the choice of problems, bring a specific one to the fore on a temporal scale, for example, on the scale of habit, and change the focus of attention if necessary. Change just as we change roles throughout life: there are many roles we play, but in each period, a specific role takes the forefront.

You can choose problems that you would like to solve not only for yourself but also for others. For example, if you see that communication within the team often stalls due to the lack of a common team language and shared working principles, you can start solving this problem. This is also one way to get a promotion.