“When things are bad, we take a bit of comfort in the thought
that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find
hope in the thought that things are so bad, they have to
get better.”
Malcolm Forbes
“It’s so much easier to suggest solutions, when you don’t
know too much about the problem.”
Malcolm Forbes
Overcoming Obstacles to Problem Solving
Or:
What to Do When Finding the Solution to a Problem Becomes
a Problem
Over the last few months, I have had several ideas for Beacon
articles. But as I sat down to write, I realized that my heart
just wasn’t in any of those topics.
This has been a very tough month for the Schmidt household.
I have been working on two goals – one personal and one professional
– for five long years. And for whatever reason, each time
I get close to reaching either one of them, something beyond
my control happens, and I have to start all over again.
I have to be honest and tell you that this morning I felt
like I didn’t have another start left in me. I just wanted
to curl up on the couch and call it a day. But I didn’t. Instead
I took the only positive step I could muster at the time:
I took a walk. The first part of the walk was a pity party.
You know the drill. Lots of sighing, slumped shoulders. But
somewhere around the half way point, I started to actually
analyze the problems and what was bothering me so much about
both situations.
So, why am I telling you such personal information? Because,
let’s face it. At times, all of us become disappointed with
life whether at work or at home. We all have to solve problems
and deal with stress and frustration on a regular basis.
Pulling from research I have conducted and seminars I have
taught over the years, I came up with some strategies for
solving problems. I hope you find this information as useful
as I have.
Get Perspective
This is a very important first step. When you’ve been dealing
with a problem for a long time, it’s easy to lose perspective,
and the problem begins to seem bigger than it really is. When
this happens we can become paralyzed, unable to think about
how to deal with the issue. Or we may become determined to
make our current solution work despite any evidence that it
will.
When you are deeply immersed in a problem you tend to lose
peripheral vision (metaphorically speaking). If you try to
solve the problem without perspective, you may make the wrong
decision or even miss the obvious answer. At times like these,
a memory from my elementary school days resurfaces. I remember
it vividly. A bird flew into the classroom one day and circled
the room for what felt like hours banging against the same
closed window over and over again. I watched horrified as
the teacher tried to shoo the injured bird out the door. I
honestly can’t remember if the bird ever got out. But I do
remember feeling so sorry for that little bird and yet so
frustrated that he couldn’t see that the door right next to
him was wide open. How many of us are that same little bird
(metaphorically speaking again)? Trying the same solutions
to the same problems over and over again. What is it they
say? “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over and expecting a different result.” By that definition,
I know I’ve been insane on occasion. How about you?
Very often it pays to take a step back and look at the problem
from a new perspective. There are several ways to do this.
It really depends on who you are and which one or ones works
best for you.
You can:
Talk to someone you trust who may have a differing viewpoint.
If no one is available, try to look at the problem from the
viewpoint of different people i.e. your boss, your customer,
etc. To clear your head, you can write down your thoughts,
take a walk, work on another project for awhile, give yourself
a break or exercise. The method you use is unimportant. The
goal is to think about the problem in real terms and, perhaps,
see that it is not as big as it may seem.
Define the Problem
This step is important for solving process problems, overcoming
obstacles in stalled projects and dealing with interpersonal
problems.
When searching for the solution to a problem, it is best
to start with what you know. List the symptoms of the problem
as well as what you know the problem is NOT. Focusing on reality
gives you a foundation for the next step, which is brainstorming
possible solutions.
Next write a problem statement from your list of facts. This
may seem like an unnecessary step, but it is actually critical.
Writing a problem statement forces you to define what the
problem is and what it is not. This clarity helps you develop
focused solutions.
When solving interpersonal problems, we often confuse the
issue by blaming someone. When that happens, our problem statements
look something like this, “Mary in accounting is the problem.”
While that may feel like the case, “Mary” is not solvable.
And even if she was, it is highly unlikely that Mary is the
entire problem.
To gain the perspective you need to reach a solution. You
must have a 360 degree view of the situation and articulate
that knowledge in your problem statement. A better problem
statement might be, “I am scrambling at the last minute each
month to complete my monthly reports because I don’t receive
information from the accounting department on time.” This
problem statement is fact based and solvable. Your problem
isn’t Mary. Your problem is the fact that you receive the
information you need late. This perspective will prepare you
to have a focused discussion with Mary about the business
problem, as opposed to launching into what could become an
unproductive personal attack.
Brainstorm Solutions
It is often helpful to have other people who are involved
in the situation participate in your brainstorming sessions.
Working as a team, you are sure to come up with more ideas,
plus the ideas you come up with will already be vetted by
people who will be involved in implementing the ultimate solution.
You also won’t waste your time with ideas that might, otherwise,
be struck down or sabotaged.
If you are not part of a traditional work team or if the
problem is of a personal nature, enlist the brainstorming
power of a trusted colleague or friend. Or, if the problem
is one you truly need to solve alone, emulate a brainstorming
session by listing possible solutions on a white board or
jotting ideas on 3x5 cards or Post-it® Notes.
During the brainstorming process you will understand how
important it is to correctly define the problem. If you didn’t
do a good job initially defining the problem, you may have
a difficult time finding viable solutions.
Choose Your New Direction
Sometimes the answer to your problem will be obvious once
you’ve defined the problem and brainstormed possible solutions.
If the answer is elusive, there are several ways you can evaluate
your options. You can rate and/or weight each solution according
to criteria such as cost, ease of implementation, etc. You
can also make a pro/con list that defines the pluses and minuses
for each possible solution. If you are working with a team,
you can vote, come to consensus or agree to have a third party
choose the solution from your choices. Regardless of the route
you take, it is usually a good idea to involve other people
who will be impacted by your decision.
Take Action – Even When a Solution Evades You
Sometimes there are several possible solutions to a problem,
none of which stands out as the perfect answer. If you find
yourself in this kind of situation, pick the best option and
try it out. If it doesn’t work, go to the next one. Thomas
Edison had several failures before his famous successes. When
asked about them, he said, “None of my experiments has ever
failed. I now know 10,000 things that won’t work.”
So, the next time you run into a problem—whether business
or personal—take action and follow these simple steps. They
will help you gain clarity and feel like you have an element
of some control over the issue. Remember, you may have
only 50% control over any problem, but you do have 100% control
over that half.
“No matter how big and tough a problem may be, get rid
of confusion by taking one little step toward solution.
Do something. Then try again. At the worst, you will eventually
use up all the wrong ways of doing it and, thus, the next
try will be the right one.”
George F. Nordenholt
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