Do you ever get stuck in cycles of confusion, rumination and thought paralysis? Do you ever experience that washing machine head, with persistent thoughts running round giving you no specific solution? This is the curse of the overthinker!
I've come across many models and frameworks, adapted to walk you through this very process and guide you toward some clear thinking. Many are useful, some are overcomplicated and some just don't work. I prefer to use the acronym of giving it a “kiss”….. Keep It Simple Stupid! Often the simplest solution is the right one
With this in mind I would like to offer you, an effective and speedy way of problem solving
The "What, So What, Now What" model is a reflective practice framework commonly used for personal and professional development. It helps you to critically reflect on experiences, develop some meaning and apply insights to future situations.
This model is often attributed to Rolfe et al. (2001), who introduced it in the context of reflective practice in nursing. However, it builds on earlier work in reflective learning and experiential learning theory, particularly drawing from Donald Schön’s work on reflective practice and David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle.
Here’s a breakdown of each component.
1. What (Description)
So what is the problem that you need to solve? By asking yourself this question you start to get down and dirty with the issue in hand. Often, in the midst of the myriad of thoughts that roll around our head, we just need to work out precisely what we need to deal with. So we break it down. In NLP, we call this ‘meta framing’
This step focuses on objectively describing the experience or event. It's about gathering factual information without interpreting or making judgments. Here are some useful questions to ask yourself
o What happened?
o Who was involved?
o Where did it take place?
o What were the outcomes?
The goal is to create a clear, detailed account of the event. In achieving this we have a clearer way forward……. We have an outcome.
2. So What (Analysis)
So what makes this so important that we have to deal with it here and now?
This phase is about interpreting and understanding the experience. It explores the meaning behind the "What" and helps uncover lessons or insights. At this point we are sharpening the focus and getting a clearer understanding about why this issue is so important. Some useful questions might be;
Why is this significant?
How did you feel about the event?
What were the key learnings?
What impact did this have on you or others?
In this step, you think about your emotional, intellectual, and practical responses to the event and its consequences. You create some space to enable you to think more broadly about the issue at hand. You can decide about whether it is useful to deal with the problem or just discard it.
3. Now What (Action)
So you should now have some ideas thoughts about your possible outcome. You moved from confusion to clarity, And you’ll have some tangible steps that you can take to resolve whatever issue is blocking your progress. Some useful questions that you could ask yourself are;
What will you do differently next time?
How can you apply what you’ve learned?
What changes or actions will you take to improve?
The "Now What" phase ensures the reflection leads to personal or professional growth, and that lessons are put into practice.
The “what, So what, now what” process is a wonderfully simple method of resolving internal or external conflicts in a fast and effective way. Sometimes we just need discreet and speedy way of moving away from a stuck position. It pushes us into critical thinking and promotes deeper understandings of the problem in hand. And above all it can be applied in a broad range of settings.
I would absolutely agree that there is a time and a place for long deliberation, deep thinking and lengthy discussion. However sometimes, navel gazing just isn't appropriate! In these situations, keeping it simple and applying a resourceful strategy may be a better way forward
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