{"id":4962,"date":"2010-12-08T06:39:15","date_gmt":"2010-12-08T13:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=4962"},"modified":"2010-08-31T06:47:00","modified_gmt":"2010-08-31T13:47:00","slug":"when-fully-understanding-the-problem-is-a-%e2%80%9cbad-thing%e2%80%9d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=4962","title":{"rendered":"When fully understanding the problem is a \u201cbad thing\u201d."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Raleigh has many lovely parks and lakes in the area.\u00a0 One such lovely and convenient lake is Shelly Lake at 1400 W Millbrook Rd.\u00a0\u00a0 This park is centered on 53-acre (21-hectare) Shelley Lake, and offers greenway trails that are popular with cyclists and those who walk for fitness as well as families and pet owners who want to take the kids or dog out for a romp.<\/p>\n

During one such walk, one guest was lamenting over a specific issue or problem that she was having.\u00a0 She spent much time and energy repeating and retracing the events.\u00a0 Like walking the circular lake, at the end of the 30 minutes, this young lady was back where she started — no closer to a solution than when she started.<\/p>\n

Albert Einstein understood: \u201cWe can\u2019t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we often disguise the \u201cneed to vent\u201d in the form of \u201cunderstanding the problem\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 We typically spend too long describing how the problem was \u201cinvented\u201d and the circumstances, people involved, the history, etc.\u00a0 Fully understanding the problem (it\u2019s in\u2019s and out\u2019s, the motive and even it\u2019s results) actually slows down the \u201csolution\u201d process.<\/p>\n

In reality, the only piece of the \u201cproblem\u201d information that is truly required is that \u201cthe problem exists\u201d<\/em>.\u00a0 How it came about may be interesting and even entertaining \u2014 but it rarely helps with the solution.<\/p>\n

The \u201cthought-process\u201d that brings out the\u00a0\u201csolution\u201d needs to be totally different from the \u201cthought-process\u201d that created the problem.\u00a0\u00a0 Therefore, spending lots of time discussing the \u201cproblem\u201d in detail only keeps us in the same thinking space that created the problem (which is where we DO NOT want to be).<\/p>\n

I liken it to the modern day \u201cGPS\u201d system.\u00a0 The GPS system never asks you \u201chow did you get here?\u201d\u00a0 It only asks you \u201cwhere do you want to go?\u201d It doesn\u2019t focus on where you have been, how you got there, what roads, issues, circumstances that you encountered to arrive \u2018here\u2019.\u00a0 It only asks you \u201cwhere do you want to go?\u201d\u00a0 It simply focuses on the solution of your desire.<\/p>\n

THEREFORE,\u00a0diminish the \u201cproblem discussion\u201d in regards to both time and importance.\u00a0 The \u201cproblem\u201d is just an indicator that a fabulous solution is lurking out there somewhere.\u00a0 So let\u2019s bounce our self\u2019s there as quickly as possible.\u00a0 After a short amount of time is devoted to the problem recognition, re-iterate in your own words what you understand the \u201cproblem\u201d to be.\u00a0 Then immediately focus on the \u201cend results\u201d.\u00a0 Clearly articulate the results that you are currently looking for using descriptive but concise language.<\/p>\n

A great book on changing the way you look at \u201cproblems\u201d and transforming them into solutions is Roger\u2019s Van Oech book \u201cWhack on the side of your head: How you can be more creative\u201d.\u00a0 The intent is to give you a jolt out of habitual thought that got you into the problem in the first place.\u00a0 It assists you into looking at things in a fresh way.\u00a0 I actually recommend and give \u201cA Whack<\/strong> on the Side<\/strong> of the Head<\/strong>\u201d in the playing card version, to my clients as a problem resolution tool.<\/p>\n

Some examples from the \u201cWhack Pack\u201d include (but not limited to) are:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Find a Pattern<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Make a metaphor<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Combine ideas<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Substitute<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exaggerate<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rearrange<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ask \u201cWhat if\u201d<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reverse<\/p>\n

9)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Simplify<\/p>\n

10) Challenge the rules<\/p>\n

Check out that book or cards and let me know what you think.<\/p>\n

This is also why having another person (not skilled in the problem) to talk to is very helpful.\u00a0\u00a0 They can provide the outside view, the reverse view, or the devil’s advocate perspective.\u00a0 These conversations help bring you out of the “problem thinking cloud” and into a different space.<\/p>\n

One magic trick I often play on my clients is the “positive aspect” slight of hand.\u00a0 Every problem is actually an opportunity to shine.\u00a0 Everyone can “smell sweet” when everything is going great.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But — for me — I don’t know what I “know” until I’m asked a question.\u00a0 I don’t know how capable I am until I am challenged.\u00a0 The universe has this intriguing way of only supplying us with circumstances and events that allow us to shine.\u00a0 It’s just that some folks don’t yet realize that fact.\u00a0 So they don’t take that leap into the knowing that they can handle whatever comes their way.<\/p>\n

Now you know that you already know and already capable.\u00a0 Armed with that realization, your “leap” won’t be that large.\u00a0 Try it and let me know what happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raleigh has many lovely parks and lakes in the area.\u00a0 One such lovely and convenient lake is Shelly Lake at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1508,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,6,1],"tags":[39,33,64,1370,38,54],"class_list":["post-4962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership","category-time-management","category-communications","category-miscellaneous","tag-best-practices","tag-common-sense","tag-communication","tag-leadership","tag-project-management","tag-soft-skills"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1508"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4962\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}