Monday, August 5, 2013

Problem Solving Strategies

Problems, problems, problems, life is full of problems.  And they never seem to go away.  It is a fact of life.  So, instead of avoiding problems or hiding and running from them, or wishing they’d go away, the best strategy is to learn how to deal with them when they come.  Here are some helpful strategic ways to deal with problems.

(A) Put them in perspective.  That is, view your problems in light of your life’s big picture respecting your life goals, priorities, values, and life’s end.

Problems are easier to deal with when you clearly understand how they affect your greater goals and purposes, allowing you to determine the level of impact and thus their immediacy (from the severe, demanding immediate attention, to the insignificant, which can be ignored).

This presumes that you have the big picture of your life in mind:  Where are you heading, what are you doing to get there, what are the obstacles that may prevent you from reaching your life’s goal?  How do you want to be remembered when you die and what accomplishments do you hope to have by the end of your life?  In short, view all of your “problems” from the vantage point of one heading in a certain direction toward a certain end and deal with them accordingly.

(B) Accurately and clearly define your problem.  This sounds simple enough; however, sometimes the “problem” you believe you are facing is not the real problem.  The issues that lie behind or underneath the surface may be the real problem.

This requires bold honesty within one’s self, to one’s self.  Ask yourself, why is this a problem for me?  Why would I prefer to run or escape from dealing with it rather than to confront it head on?  What am I not admitting, acknowledging, or accepting about this problem?  Try to get to the root or heart of the problem in the process of defining it.

(C) Clarify whose problem it is.  That is, is this a problem that you caused and that you are able to resolve or correct or is it a problem that is beyond your ability to control, manage, or solve?

First of all, keep in mind that not all problems are yours.  There are a lot of people who are happy to make their problems YOUR problem.  Don’t take on other people’s problems—unless it is your job, or you personally feel called to do so, or unless you know that you have to share the problem as part of a group or community that has collective ownership of the problem.

Secondly, know your limitations and the extent of your ability to adequately and satisfactorily deal with the problem.  Understand what the problem requires and determine your ability to solve it.  You may need help or it may be a problem that cannot be solved.  For example, when the Titanic hit the iceberg and started to sink, there was no way to solve the problem of its sinking.  The only solution was to abandon ship and man the lifeboats.  That is to say, deal with problems that you can actually solve.

(D) Examine: look, listen, and think before you take action.   Problems are best dealt with when you fully understand their details and how best to tackle it.  This requires some reflection, contemplation, information gathering, and assessment taking.  Then, “make it so” and do what you have to do.

You have options. You always do.  Determine what those options are.  Put them in perspective as to timing and urgency.  Compare long term solutions with short term solutions and their consequences.  Take the time to consider the advantages and disadvantages between various options.  Yes, take the time to do so, if you have the time; however, do not procrastinate.  In the end, you must make a decision and take action.  Once a decision is made, neither vacillate nor hesitate, rather, be swift and to the point about it.

(E) Follow through.  You now have a plan or strategy.  You know what needs to be done.  Some problems require ongoing attention, miner steps and major steps, process, and time.  Follow through to the end.  Do not stop halfway, midway, or somewhere in between.  Or there is a good chance that the problem will never truly be dealt with and thus will never really go away.

Be ready to adapt, modify, and change strategies along the way if necessary.  Sometimes you may have to step-back and re-evaluate, even take a “wait-and-see” approach, but you are still in the mode of addressing the problem.  And monitor your progress.  Only when you know that the problem has fully and completely been dealt with, do you put it behind you and move on.

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