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.

Teamwork is for Teams

"A team is not a committee.  A committee is not a team.  Teamwork is for teams.  

Committees do not solve problems, they create them." ~ Slim Fairview

I do not like sports analogies. However, as we are discussing teams, we must use them.  Also, I do not like long introductions.  Therefore:

Here is the metaphor:

The Giants have 11 men on the field. For the purposes of  this discussion they are:

One Center

Two Guards,

Two Tackles

Two Ends

One Quarterback

Two Halfbacks

One Fullback

Each player plays a position. (A Job Title)

Each position has a job description.

Each player has some degree of discretion within the parameters of his assignment which he may exercise as different situations present themselves, at the time they present themselves, and in the way that they present themselves.

If a defensive lineman decides not to break through the line, the tackle must decide whether and how to change his approach--to handle his assignment.  Others must make adjustments accordingly.

"The joke is in the way I say it, not in what I say." ~ Slim Fairview.

The Tackle does not call a time out, walk across the field and say to the Receiver, "Listen, you missed that last pass, how about I run down field with you in case there is another problem?"

The Halfback does not stroll over to find out what is going on.

If there appears to be a dispute, the QB does not go over to implement some conflict resolution.

The Coach does not come out onto the field to suggest that the tackle head up a committee of back fielders and receivers to look into the problem.

Human Resources doesn't not go out onto the field to suggest bringing in a consultant who might hold a training session where everyone will have the opportunity to play different positions in order to become more sensitive to the other players feelings.

A fan does not come out onto the field to represent stakeholder interests and suggest we need a field 200 yards long to expand the market and six downs per play for revenue enhancement.

A second stringer does not go out onto the field to suggest increasing the number of players on the field to 15 or 20 so more people get to play.

There are a few things to consider though.

The team already has a shared vision

The team already has a defined goal

The team members already have their assignments

The team members already have their job descriptions.

Also there are other similarities

The opposing team presents a set of  knowns and a set of unknowns.

The offensive team knows the strengths and weaknesses of the defensive team. They do not, however, know which members of the defensive team will present the problem--or where.

If that defensive lineman decides to go around the offensive line rather than through it, then the Tackle must made a decision--on his own--"do I pull back or not?"  That decision will influence the action of, say, the Fullback. He may now be forced to move to protect the QB from being sacked.

In the same manner, the defensive line must also respond to situations and changing situations as a team.  That means each player has a degree of autonomy to make decisions within the parameters of his assigned position.

"As a team" means each individual doing his own job--not someone else's job.

A defensive lineman must decide where to go, depending on which offensive player is carrying the ball and in which direction he is heading.

You won't win many football games if you tell your defensive linemen, "Don't worry about where the ball is going.  Let me worry about that. That's my job.  If you want to be helpful, just do what I tell you to do.  If I want you to do something else, I will tell you." (Right in the middle of the play, eh?  That comment is pretty much what I was told on at least two occasions by a boss who made a serious error in judgement.  That according to many bosses.) 

Back to Congress

Everyone is entitled to an opinion.  True!

Everyone is entitled to express that opinion.  True!

The right to an opinion does not confer value upon that opinion.

"Opinions are like hemorrhoids.  Sooner or later almost every Congressman has one."  ~ The Quotations of Slim Fairview.

Case in Point:

Congress has 535 members.

Congress has a 5% approval rating.

You can't put 535 Congressmen into a 5% bag.

Back to football

Credentials:

Each football player has credentials.  Each team has a record.

Players have training, ability, experience and a track record.  Teams have a record of wins and losses, over and against which teams, and the analysis of the reasons why.

For example: Both Quarterbacks have a record of passes, pass completions, yards gained and lost, runs, yards, gained, sacks, and wins and losses.

Still, one QB wins and one loses.  Obviously, no one wins or loses on his own. Each has 10 other players on his team.  Each player doing his job. And only his job. Each team has a coach who writes plays (strategic planning) and a coach who replaces players who get tired, makes too many mistakes, or fails to perform to the (measurables) standards of the team.

When was the last time you replaced someone on your team? As they say across the pond--"Dropped for not scoring."

GET THE MESSAGE?

Teamwork is for teams.  A team is not a committee.  A committee is not a team. Committees do not solve problems, they cause them. 

Replace your committee with a team.  

Be sure your team is in compliance with the paradigm of a team.

There are those who believe that a committee is the best way to deal with a problem.  I will now refute, repudiate, disparage, and debunk their delusions with one word--Congress.

Einstein (The Physicists) said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  I assume he meant better results. 

"I am no Einstein.  I know nothing about physics." ~ Slim Fairview.

"Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting better results." ~ Slim Fairview

From, The Quotations of Slim Fairview (c) 2013

Einstein also said, "You don't measure the intelligence of a fish  by its ability to climb a tree."

Slim Fairview said, "If you want someone to climb a tree, you hire a cat."

"If you want to know something, Google it.  If you want to understand something, ask an old person." ~ Slim Fairview.

If anything herein has helped guide you toward clear thinking and solid action, please do not 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.

or

GoFundMe

Warmest regards,



Slim.


Robert Asken Box 33 
Pen Argyl, PA  18072

LinkedIn Profile 


slimfairview@yahoo.com

Copyright © 2013 Robert Asken 

All Rights Reserved.