Find the Right Problem to Solve

Find The Right Problem to Solve

Program

Learn how to make sense of complexity, identify the right problems, and communicate solutions that drive action, no matter how ambiguous the challenge.

90% satisfaction

This program includes

As AI-generated information proliferates and business uncertainty intensifies, teams are expected to solve increasingly complex, high-stakes problems. They're left to make sense of:

Messy data
Unclear priorities
Aligning cross-functionally

Cost to the business?

When people default to surface-level solutions or struggle to align across teams, great ideas stall. Effort is duplicated, decisions get delayed, and the organization loses momentum.

What's missing?

The ability to clarify the problem, extract insight from complexity, and communicate solutions that drive alignment and action.

In short, the ability to solve the right problems and bring others with you.

Audience

Company-Wide

Length

6-8 weeks

Cohort size

Price

Starting at $50,000

About this program

Participants will learn tools to tackle complex, high-stakes problems in fast-moving environments. Through hands-on practice and structured thinking frameworks, they will clarify what matters, extract insights from messy data, and communicate solutions that resonate across teams.

Skills you'll improve

Syllabus

1 - Understanding the Problem

Invite different perspectives for a deeper understanding

Time commitment:

90-minute live session + 30 minutes of pre-work

Why it matters:

In a world overflowing with data, we often rush into solutions without fully understanding the problem. Without multiple viewpoints, we risk focusing on the wrong problem or missing the deeper issue entirely.

Thinking tool:

Narrative Dialogue – gather insights and think through problems from multiple perspectives to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of it.

Walk away with:

The ability to slow down and clarify the problem first. You’ll learn to ask better questions, uncover what matters most, and focus on solving the right problem, not just the obvious one.

Gym - Session 1

Use Narrative Dialogue to get clear on your problem

Time commitment:

60-minute live session + 30 minutes of pre-work

What to expect:

Use Narrative Dialogue to unpack a complex or ambiguous problem you’re currently working on, and discover hidden insights with the help of your peers.

Walk away with:

A deeper understanding of the problem and greater confidence in where to focus your energy next.

2 - Finding the Solution

Learn how to organize information to develop clear insights

Time commitment:

90-minute live session + 30 minutes of pre-work

Why it matters:

In complex environments, more information doesn’t mean better decisions. You need a structured way to make sense of what you’re seeing, extract insight, and translate it into a point of view that others can understand and act on.

Thinking tool:

Problem Pyramid – break down information bottom-up so you can identify patterns and communicate insights top-down.

Walk away with:

A repeatable method to break down complex problems and surface insights that lead to meaningful action.

Gym - Session 2

Develop an insight on your problem with the Problem Pyramid

Time commitment:

60-minute live session + 30 minutes of pre-work

What to expect:

Apply the Problem Pyramid to a problem you’re working on. Bring clarity to what’s murky, organize your thinking, and sense-make with peer support.

Walk away with:

A clearer picture of the problem and a structured process for organizing complex data into meaningful insights.

3 - Communicating Your POV

Learn how to communicate your insights to drive action

Time commitment:

90-minute live session + 30 minutes of pre-work

Why it matters:

Even the best solutions fall flat if others don’t understand them. Communicating clearly, especially across teams and functions, is key to getting buy-in and turning insights into action.

Thinking tool:

Whole Brain Model – adapt your message to different thinking styles and frame complex information in ways that make sense to your audience.

Walk away with:

The ability to communicate the “so what” of your solution clearly and persuasively, even when your stakeholders process information differently.

Gym - Session 3

Craft a compelling perspective hook for your audience

Time commitment:

60-minute live session + 30 minutes of pre-work

What to expect:

Use the Whole Brain Model to frame and share a solution to a real challenge you’re facing. With peer feedback, you’ll craft a compelling perspective hook that draws your stakeholders into your thinking and drives action.

Walk away with:

Confidence in how you communicate solutions, clarity on your next step, and a message that resonates across thinking styles, so you can influence action, not just share information.

90% satisfaction

What Participants Are Saying

"The Thinking Pyramid helped me develop an insight around which tools/programs we should be prioritizing for retailers early in their time on the platform, which has influenced a product roadmap for H2."

Victoria Nelson

Senior Product Marketing Manager

“I enjoyed learning the Whole Brain Model - it will sharpen the way I engage with different stakeholders and how I position my communication strategy.”

Jessica Rose

L&D Associate

“I worked on a proposal through each workshop and it's helped me to shape the insights and recommendations using to the frameworks we learned.”

Brooklyn Brown

Staff Product Designer

“I've adapted the How/What framework to better coach my team and guide them through problem-solving in more productive ways.”

Stephanie Smith

Customer Success Partner

"I used the MECE framework to cover all the scenarios that applied to a specific project I was working on. This was crucial to ensure peers could understand the full scope of the project and improve our plans."

Marcos Costa Pinto

Staff Back-end Engineer

“I'm constantly using soundbites when communicating with my core leadership audience: What do you NEED to know and by when in order to do what?”

Sara Becker

Senior Product Manager

"I learned useful ways to communicate more effectively by understanding your audience and using more structured thinking."

Qi Gao

Senior Data Scientist

“I found the points around sparking curiosity interesting. Getting engagement on documentation can be a challenge since people's attention is pulled in so many different ways.”

James Oliver

Senior Engineer

"I knew what MECE stood for, but I fully grasped how the concept was useful when presenting to a group that might not know as much about something as I do."

Dylan Schwarz

Marketing Analytics Senior Associate

The Curious Lion Experience

Zoom like you’ve never seen

Not your ordinary Zoom call

We combine storytelling, music, energizers, breakouts, and hands-on learning to create an unforgettable virtual experience.

Learn from peers across functions

Cross-functional learning provides context

The best learning happens when ideas are filtered through the unique context of those we work with. Our programs all follow our framework for Cohort Learning Experiences.

Get real work done

A structured process for solving problems

We provide hands-on coaching while your people apply our thinking tools to their actual work to ship during the cohort.

Drive business outcomes

Align learning to your business strategy

With a team of strategy consultants and learning consultants working hand-in-hand, we are able to create learning products that drive real business outcomes (and measure this).

Meet Your
Instructor

Andrew is an expert in learning and development, serving in executive roles at global organizations like KPMG. As the founder of Curious Lion, Andrew and his team have developed 1,000s of leaders at clients like Workday, Pinterest, IMG, and USAA, winning numerous awards for their engaging learning experiences.

Kenny is the Domain Manager for the Web Development Domain at Codecademy. He contributed to a wide range of courses and paths at Codecademy, including JavaScript, Bootstrap, Handlebars, Phaser.js, Go, Swift, TypeScript, and Lua.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this virtual?

The program is built to be virtual first, delivering a Zoom experience like you’ve never experienced before. But individual sessions can be delivered in person.

Can this be tailored?

All our programs have a minimum level of customization by our team of strategy and learning consultants. We can discuss deeper customization in our discovery calls.

What audience is this best for?

We see the most success with a cross-functional audience of experienced individual contributors transitioning to leadership and new leaders.

Why the focus on problem-solving?

The core challenge of leadership is not having all the answers. It’s having the right questions. This mindset is at the heart of problem-solving. We teach new and aspiring leaders how to synthesize multiple perspectives into a strategic narrative and communicate clearly to diverse stakeholders.