I Smell Poop

As you may already know if you’ve read my articles before, I really like to reflect and make comparisons, but I really enjoy obscure analogies. As a parent of two wonderful kids, I have learned a lot, and another comparison to problem solving recently occurred to me. Now, let’s talk about poop.

Define The Problem

As with any problem, there is a moment when the issue is identified. You can see it, or, you might, well, smell it. As I put my 2-year-old son, who was potty trained earlier this year, into the bath, I became aware of the problem through my sense of smell. I didn’t know where it was, but I knew it existed. It was not a time to panic, as problems like this happen occasionally, but it was time to figure out the steps to resolve it. Problem definition: uncontained poop was somewhere in the bathroom and causing a smell. If unsolved, smell will continue to worsen and other hazardous consequences could occur.

Develop A Plan

The first step of my plan was to identify the source of the problem, meaning location. I first tried process of elimination and investigated my son who was in the tub to make sure it was not a recent problem. No issue there. The next step was to do other research, meaning follow the clues, which unfortunately was the smell, to the source of the problem. It was found on the side of the potty seat. The next step of the plan was to contain and sanitize.

Implement Plan

With Clorox wipes and a trash bag to put the wipes in, I safely disinfected the problem and set out the potty seat to dry. The contaminated wipes in the trash bag were then placed in the outdoor trash can. The entire process took about three minutes while my son played with his boats in the bathtub.

Evaluate

Reflecting on the experience, I thought of all of the normal problem-solving steps, in business or any instance, and realized they were applicable in this situation. The problem was identified and defined and a plan was developed and implemented. I evaluated at the end of the process, proud of myself for handling thoughtfully and quickly, but also made a point to remind my wife that she can deal with the next ‘problem’. With the understanding of a defined problem-solving process, there is not a reason to panic when facing any problem.

If I can handle poop, I handle anything.

Jason Hornberger is a 30-something year old commercial lender at Orrstown Bank in Berks County. He would likely be considered a dinosaur by his Millennial peers, but he tries to put together engaging content each week to show his brand and thought process. Social media is an online billboard and his goal is to establish himself as an ethical thought leader and someone that other people want to engage with (hopefully in business and in the community).