The book

“If you want the superpower of solving better problems, read this book”

ERIC SCHMIDT, Former CEO, Google

Are you solving the right problems?

Have you or your colleagues ever worked hard on something, only to find out you were focusing on the wrong problem entirely? Most people have. In a survey, 85 percent of companies said they often struggle to solve the right problems.

The consequences are severe: Leaders fight the wrong strategic battles. Teams spend their energy on low-impact work. Startups build products that nobody wants. Organizations implement “solutions” that somehow make things worse, not better. Everywhere you look, the waste is staggering. As Peter Drucker pointed out, there’s nothing more dangerous than the right answer to the wrong question.

There is a way to do better.

The key is reframing, a crucial, underutilized skill that you can master with the help of this book. Using real-world stories and unforgettable examples like “the slow elevator problem,” author Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg offers a simple, three-step method—Frame, Reframe, Move Forward—that anyone can use to start solving the right problems.

Reframing is not difficult to learn. It can be used on everyday challenges and on the biggest, trickiest problems you face. In this visually engaging, deeply researched book, you’ll learn from leaders at large companies, from entrepreneurs, consultants, nonprofit leaders, and many other breakthrough thinkers.

It’s time for everyone to stop barking up the wrong trees. Teach yourself and your team to reframe, and growth and success will follow.

Praise for “What’s Your Problem?”

“Whatever problems you are facing, this book is going to transform the way you solve them.”

ADAM GRANT, New York Times bestselling author, Originals and Give and Take

“This unexpectedly engaging book is as practical as it is wise.”

AMY C. EDMONDSON, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School

“This book is a joy to read. It’s the most useful business book we’ve read in years.”

DOUGLAS STONE and SHEILA HEEN, New York Times bestselling coauthors, Difficult Conversations and Thanks For the Feedback

Order your copy:

Other languages

Taiwan
Brazil
Denmark
Russia
France
Romania
Ukraine
Czech Republic
Japan

“What’s Your Problem?” is published in 14 languages beyond English: Chinese (Xiron Press), Russian (Alpina Press), French (Pearson), Portuguese (Benvirá), Danish (Content Publishing), Ukranian (Vivat Press), Romanian (Publica), traditional Chinese (Commonwealth), Vietnamese (WeTransform), Czech (Portal), Arabic (Jarir Books), Japanese (Jitsumu Kyoiku), Indonesian (Grasindo), and Korean (Chungrim). The editions will be linked here as they become available for purchase.

For publishers: If you wish to publish the book in your country, please contact Jon Shipley, Director of International Sales and Rights at Harvard Business Review Press: jon.shipley@hbr.org