When Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully completed the first manned flight on December 17, 1903, they amazed and astounded the world. They also demonstrated the power of their problem-solving method.

Not only did they solve a problem that others had deemed too complex and technical, but they did it without any outside help. These brothers had little formal training or education, but they were endowed with amazing intelligence. Few achievements can match what these two former bicycle mechanics did with this flying machine.

The key problem-solving principles used by the Wright brothers are still relevant today for business owners. There are only eight, and here they are:

CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT: This conflict can be used to discover and validate new ideas/strategies to find a practical answer.
TACKLE THE WORST PROBLEMS FIRST: When big problems are addressed first, the cost to the whole is limited to that set if a solution proves unworkable.
BRICOLATE EVERYTHING SIMPLY: New approaches can be created by tinkering with parts of a problem as you try to figure it out.
RIGID FLEXIBILITY: Flexibility of mind allows you to consider possibilities outside the realm of policy, tradition, or experience.
CONTINUOUS LEARNING: Learning as a lifelong passion is essential to finding the information needed to solve problems.
METHODISM: The fastest and most effective way to solve a problem is to be meticulous and methodical in your approach.
FAIR TEAMWORK: The strength of a group with a common goal is multiplied by interdependence and fueled by trust, effort, benefits, power and honor.

A side benefit of these steps is that there is an added financial bonus. Using these principles, the Wright brothers reduced their costs to less than $1,000 and solved the problem of flying at a breathtaking speed. What business owner wouldn’t want to solve a problem in their business and cut costs at the same time?