What's Your Problem-Solving Style? The 5 Profiles for Better Decisions

Author: HumanOp Technologies
Published: Tue 29 Jul 2025
Episode Link: https://humanop.com

Is your team composed of diverse thinkers or are you accidentally hiring people who approach problems exactly like you do? This common leadership blind spot can lead to major strategic errors.

Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, investigative journalist and creator of the AREA Method, returns to Harmonious at Lunch to detail her five "Problem Solver Profiles." She explains how everyone defaults to one of five styles—the Adventurer, Detective, Listener, Thinker, or Visionary—and how each has specific strengths and cognitive biases. Learn how to identify your own style, diagnose your team's collective profile, and leverage creative conflict between different types to make more robust, well-rounded business decisions.

Chapters:

[00:00] - From the AREA Method to Problem Solver Profiles

[02:18] - The 5 Profiles: Adventurer, Detective, Listener, Thinker & Visionary

[07:05] - The Adventurer: Gut-Driven & Confident Decision Maker

[08:10] - The Detective: The Risk of Confirmation Bias in Data

[09:25] - Creative Conflict: How Adventurers & Detectives Can Work Together

[12:20] - The Listener: Balancing Collaboration with Your Inner Voice

[13:17] - The Thinker: Avoiding Frame Blindness and Analysis Paralysis

[14:10] - The Visionary: The Creative Who Needs to Watch for Scarcity Bias

[15:40] - How to Take the Free 5-Minute Problem Solver Profile Quiz

[16:45] - Why Teams with the Same Profile Augment Each Other's Weaknesses

[18:15] - The Difference Between Diverse Backgrounds and Diverse Thought