How Do You Solve Problems?

How do you solve problems?


Trial and Error?
Seek Help?
Form a Team?
Form a Committee?
Dedication and Hard Work?

Or, perhaps another one of the many Headline Methods.

The other day, I had a maze puzzle to work on.  I like maze puzzles. I'm good at them.  Not this time.

The maze was very complex.  And, to make matters worse, the paths were formed with jagged lines.

After a few frustrating minutes, for me and the others in the group, I decided on a better way.

I filled in all the paths that led to a dead end.  Ultimately, the only thing left as a clear path from the start to the finish.

Confucius said, "Life is simple. We make it hard."


Think Inside the Box

Visiting Grandpa in his store. (Years ago.)
He offers me a soda (pop).  This, at the onset of ring tops.
I lift the ring.  The ring comes off.
I look at the tab.
I can get that out, I think.  I look for the tools in his shop.
I find a hammer and a fine chisel to remove the tab.
He sees me.
I explain the problem.
He says, I have a tool for that.
I say, You do?
He goes to the drawer & takes out (wait for it) a can-opener.

I'd become so fixated on "the tab" that I lost sight of the basics.  To open a soda can, you use a can-opener.

Think inside the box.



Don't Panic 

In the news, years back, a man who couldn't swim, waded into the water at the beach. A sudden wave knocked him down.  He panicked, flailed about, and drowned.  This, despite the fact that to save his life, all he had to do was to stand up.  The water barely came up to his waist.

Don't Panic


Don't Reinvent the Wheel

In reading a response to a civil complain, in addition to the responses, I came across 21 affirmative defenses: Doctrine of Chattels, Doctrine of Estoppel, and so on.  This based on the legal principle that any defense not raised at the time response may be considered waived.

Not wanting to make an error using colloquial knowledge, I went to the Law Dictionary.  I was looking forward to a long trudge.  Then, in reviewing opposing counsels paperwork, I found a simpler and more effective solution.  I replied to his affirmative defenses the same way he'd replied to my allegations.  (Averments)

Deny the allegation. Restate and reaffirm...
Deny the allegation. Restate and reaffirm...
and so on.

Problem solved.  Opposing counsel did my work for me.

Don't reinvent the wheel


Observe
Analyze
Conclude
Act


Let your opponent's force work for you. 
(The principle of Judo)

Years back, I majored in education for a short period of time.  We had a course in lesson planning.

The class was split into groups.  Each group had to come up with a lesson plan to teach to our (University) class.  (This for Elementary Education)

Our group had more than one "non-traditional" student in the group.  We were unprepared when the Professor sent us out of the class to ready ourselves to make our presentation.

One student panicked.  "We'll just tell the Professor that we're not prepared, and ask if we can do it next week and take a one letter grade drop." 

I said, we can do it today.  The other student said, we can't come up with a lesson in five minutes.

The traditional students panicked.  They did not want to hear a drop in grade.  Their force worked for me.  They quieted the panicky student.

We don't have to come up with a lesson.  The class will come up with a lesson for us.  Our lesson plan will be:

"How to come up with a lesson plan."

  
I will give the introduction. 

One of us will introduce the lesson:
How to decide on a lesson.

Another:
The resources needed.

Another:
The method of teaching the lesson.

Another:
How to determine if the students learned the lesson. (Feedback)

We went ahead with the lesson.  No loss of grade suffered.


Bonus Lesson 

When teaching 7th grade reading, I assigned the book, Blubber  by Judy Blume.  This was an anti-bullying book.

I asked my class to write one page on the following theme:
You are the girl in the class who is mean to Blubber.  Why are you bullying Blubber?

Each and every student wrote a composition on why you should not bully other people.

Technically, none of the students complied with the instructions.  In fairness, the question was above their grade level.  I could not fault them for that.  Explaining why you are bullying, was out of their comfort zone as well.  They all received good grades for their composition.  And I learned a lesson as well.  Your audience will move to their comfort zone.

Why is this a bonus lesson?  Because in my University Class, not one of the groups came up with a lesson plan, "How to develop a lesson plan."  Each group came up with a lesson plan instead.

Remember, when attempting to communicate in business, especially when dealing with problem solving, many in your group or on your team will move to his or her comfort zone.


Some real life insights.

7.3 Billion.  The number of people in the world.
1.3 Billion.  The number of people in China.
6.0 Billion.  The number of people you can do business with outside of China.

Malcolm Forbes said, "Put all your eggs in one basket.  And watch that basket."  Well, China is not your basket. China is someone else's basket.


Don't talk about it.  

There are only three reasons people want you to 
"talk about it."

1. To convince you to do what they want you to do.
2. To bully you into doing what you don't want to do.
3. To delay or prevent you from actually doing anything at all.

Don't talk about it.  Unless....

You want to convince others to do what you want them to do.

To bully people into doing what they don't want to do.

To delay or prevent them from doing anything at all.

Santayana said, 
"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."

Slim said, 
"Those who never learned history are doomed--Period!"

That was then. This is now.

"Those who remember history are able to repeat it."
~ Slim Fairview.
The Quotations of Slim Fairview © 2019



You can solve problems. You can't solve opportunities.

Simple solutions are the best.

Don't panic.

Think inside the box.

Eliminate the dead ends.

Don't reinvent the wheel.

Let your opponent's force work for you.

Let your opponent's force work against them.

Let others do the talking.


If you find anything here to be helpful, please don't hesitate to send me a really tricked out Mac Book and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along with the thank you note.  Slim

Thank you.


Sincerest regards,

Slim.

Bob Asken
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Copyright © 2019  Robert Asken
All rights reserved.