Most real world problems are complex, and can't be solved with a simple formula. These sorts of problems are sometimes called wicked problems.
One tool for solving these kinds of problems is IBIS, which is the basis for Concept Mapper.
With Concept Mapper, you map out the problem in a visual way, using nodes and arrows. The result looks a bit like a mind map.
The most common types of node are:
The root node is usually a Question, for example 'What should I do with my front garden?'
It will have several connected Idea nodes, such as:
Each of those nodes will then have several connected Positive and Negative nodes. For idea 1 above, these might be:
Once all of the Positive and Negative nodes have been added, it's easier to understand the full scope of the problem.
After weighing up the different ideas, a decision can be made. This is denoted with a Decision node.
Everybody makes complex decisions, in their personal lives (house buying, career choices etc), and professional lives (from engineers designing cars to lawyers planning a case).
A tool like Concept Mapper can help us make sense of these difficult problems.
Problems can be tricky enough to solve when they just effect ourselves, but often problems effect many people.