Solving the Unsolvable

You have a problem. No, you have THE problem — the one that never seems to get solved. Maybe it’s something small and annoying that just keeps dropping to the bottom of your priority list. Maybe it’s something big and important that you have been trying to solve, but you just keep banging into walls (oof!)

Big or small, the “unsolvable problem” is a frustration. It is also a myth.

Every myth has some truth behind it.

I know what you are thinking: “You don’t understand this problem. I don’t have the (authority/money/people) to solve it!”?

That can be true. You could lack the resources to solve the problem the way that you want to; but what if the issue wasn’t the problem but your solution? What if there was another way to “solve the problem” and get the results you want even without the extra resources??

Assumptions are not logical.

Logically, if you want to ensure that a problem gets and stays solved, you need to properly identify the cause and then design a solution that addresses it. Unfortunately, it is faster and easier to make assumptions about the cause and then jump straight into a solution that ultimately doesn’t work. Repeat this mistake, and you can feel like a problem is unsolvable, or that the solution requires drastic actions (like replacing people). If that is the wrong answer, that won’t fix anything either, and you are back to square one.

Therefore, the first step to properly diagnosing and solving your problem is to put aside all assumptions. That means, stepping back and looking at the problem like an outsider. Pretend you don’t know the people involved, you don’t know the history of the organization, and you don’t know the history of the problem.

A problem can have many causes, from mis-matched people and roles to poorly expressed expectations. Your problem may even have more than one cause, but you won’t uncover all of them until you look for all of them; and you won’t be looking for them unless you let go of your assumptions and step back.

Step back to move forward.

If you are committed to solving your problem, you need to commit to the process of solving the problem. Here’s what you need to do:

Get out of the environment.?

It’s hard to gain a new perspective when you are surrounded by the old one. You don’t have to go someplace fancy — the local coffee shop works just fine (on a nice day, a bench at the park can work, too.) I generally don’t recommend doing this from home because, when the thinking is hard, even the strongest person is tempted to give in to personal distractions.?

If you can’t get out, find a nice place in the building to isolate yourself from the people and things that can usurp your attention. An empty office or conference room can work as long as you can disconnect digitally and no one knows how to find you.

Get clear about the result you really need.

When we have a particular solution in mind, we tend to define our problem in relation to it. This is especially troublesome when your proposed solution involves people and processes outside of your control (hello again, wall — oof!)?You need a way to define the problem that is more objective.

For example, if you need to get a report from Pat Smith, but they just never seem to get to it, ask yourself: Why do I need this report? Is there a particular piece of information that I need to have? Where else could I get that? Where would Pat get it from? Is there another way to motivate Pat? Or is there a way to do my work using different information that I CAN get? Get down to the root of what you need and how it relates to what you can and can’t do.?

Approach it with a curious mind.

Imagine this is your best friend’s problem and you want to help them solve it. What questions would you ask — about the people, the environment, the equipment, etc. — to understand the issues? Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of assuming you already know the answers, or you will cut yourself off from possible solutions.?

For example, if you hear yourself thinking, “But I know Pat Smith does that because …” STOP. Step back and ask, “What are all the reasons Pat Smith might do this?” Maybe they have too many things on their plate; maybe they’re distracted by something in their personal life; maybe they don’t understand your request or you are asking them to do something they’ve never done before (people are often terrible at asking for help.) There can be any number of reasons, and each offers a possible solution. Get them all on the table.

Get more (and the right) information.

Once you’ve identified the true result you need AND new potential causes of your problem, you are ready to do some research. With new ideas, you will know exactly who you need to talk to and what questions to ask (and don’t ignore Google as a potential source.) When you’ve gathered up all of that information, you should have at least one potential solution to your problem. If you still don’t see a solution, repeat the process — take another look at your definition of the problem — and try again.

And if you are thinking, “I don’t have time to do this,” then take a few moments to calculate the time you have already spent fuming, ranting, and trying things that don’t work. Consider how much you get back if this problem is solved once and for all.

“Unsolvable problems” are not as unsolvable as you think. If you let go of your assumptions and step back, you can reframe your problem and identify things that you can do to knock down that wall and solve it once and for all.?

#ProblemSolving #SuccessfulBusiness #ProfessionalDevelopment #StrongLeaders