After you’ve structured the problem, it’s natural to want to quickly start acting to solve it. It’s important to first think through your problem by asking the following questions:

• Why are you interested in this problem? Examine your motivations and those of all the possible stakeholders.
• Who are the relevant stakeholders? Answer this question by using stakeholder mapping and management tools.
• What are your objectives? Narrow your goals by using an exercise such as organizing your objectives or the 5Rs Worksheet.
• Where is the problem? Explore the circumstances, conditions, and values that surround the problem.
• How can the problem be resolved? Think broadly about the means to address your problem.
• When should you act? Consider the appropriate time for action in a dynamic environment, accounting for system life cycles.

Answering these questions — as individuals or as a group of stakeholders — ensures that you sufficiently understand how your problem works, that you and others perceive the problem similarly, and that you’ve considered a range of potential interventions.