Kepner-Tregoe Problem Analysis
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Kepner-Tregoe Problem Analysis is part of the systematic method developed by Charles Kepner and Benjamin Tregoe, organized into four processes. Situation appraisal clarifies the issues and sets priorities among them. Problem analysis finds the root cause of a deviation. Decision analysis evaluates options against weighted criteria and chooses among them. Potential problem analysis anticipates what could go wrong with the chosen course and plans countermeasures. Problem analysis uses the IS and IS NOT technique, comparing what the problem is with what it is not across object, place, time, and extent, so the distinguishing difference points to the cause. The method assumes structured inquiry beats intuition on unfamiliar problems.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use situation appraisal: separate and rank the issues before working on any one of them. - Use is-not contrast: describe what the problem is and is not across object, place, time, and extent. - Use potential analysis: after deciding, list what could go wrong and how you would detect it.
Anchor fast decisions
Intuition fails on novel problems because it searches memory for familiar patterns and finds none, so the search stops early. Structured inquiry replaces pattern matching with comparison: describing what the problem is and is not forces attention to boundaries, and the distinguishing difference between the two sides constrains where the cause can be. Because the cause must account for both what is affected and what is not, explanations that do not fit the negative side are eliminated. The other processes handle choice and prevention.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- kepner-tregoe.comhttps://kepner-tregoe.com/blogs/kepner-tregoe-tools-and-process-validationverified
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