doug smith training

There is usually more glory (and satisfaction) in solving a problem than there is in doing the hard work ahead of time to prevent the problem in the first place. It means paying attention to risk, rather than dismissing it with some wildly optimistic notion that things will stay steady and true and always work out for you. That would be great, but have you considered the potential problems. Potential problems have a way of turning into actual problems. It takes less energy to prevent a problem than to solve it. Why wait? Fun or not, prevention works. -- doug smith

Does it feel like you're collecting problems? One thing leads to another and before you can resolve one issue another pops up?  It's like being in the middle of a movie when you just keep falling deeper into one hole or trap after another. There is usually more than one solution to any problem. If it feels like you're just collecting problems, try collecting solutions instead. You can't have too many solutions, so be generous with your generating. -- doug smith  

How flexible is your perspective? There is value in seeking a different point of view, especially in setting goals and in solving problems. Any way we ever look at anything is always a limited view. That's a broad (and possibly inaccurate) statement and yet what if it's true? Or, as my alternate perspective might state, what about it is true? Or even, what about it could be true? Sometimes we hold our problems too close to see what's causing them. Shifting the perspective opens up new vistas. That might be all we need to see the best possible solution. -- doug smith  

The root cause of a problem may be deeper than you think, with roots of its own. Look closely. Look very closely. -- doug smith  

A solution posed too soon might just be another version of the problem. It's tempting to rush thru analysis. Tempting, but costly. Few problems are solved until they are truly understood. -- doug smith  

  A problem is a change in need of a push. Push. -- doug smith

The project team is stuck. Answers are not only hard to find, they seem impossible. The problem keeps causing mistakes and creating barriers. Within robust conversations we discover that although far from perfect, the process with the problem offers plenty of opportunity. Something small and almost unnoticeable turns out to be useful.  Within every problem is something that is working. What if that contains the secret to success? -- doug smith

What if problem solving is mostly opportunity surfing? Plunge in, it's time to begin, that problem will not solve itself. -- doug smith 

  What's the longest amount of time you've ever spent trying to solve an unsolvable problem? It could be weeks. It could be months. Maybe even longer. When it has happened to me and I discovered that what I was dealing with was a problem that had to be managed, not solved, I was both furious and relieved. Furious at the time wasted, but relieved because I could stop wasting time on it. It's also possible that while we might conjure up a solution to a problem that is causing us fits we could also discover that the problem doesn't even require a solution. It is, in fact, a situation with differences of opinion. Not a problem, but a conflict. Not every conflict can be resolved, but those that can behave differently than problems. There are differences in the perspective. Differences of opinion among the stakeholders. Different ideas of what an ideal solution should look like. What if the problem doesn't need a solution? What if it needs something else? Unthinkable? Onl

You may not have found the solution yet but you're way ahead of anyone who's stopped looking. -- doug smith

  Intractable problems bother me. Knowing that a problem is beyond my control or influence is frustrating. If the best that we can do is manage with the problem, then manage we must but we won't necessarily enjoy it. Isn't it still worth exploring the possibilities? Maybe we CAN nudge that problem enough to loosen it from its mooring and start a new situation. What if tough problems aren't fixed but instead moved? What if the solution is in the motion? Let's get moving! -- doug smith

  Talking about what you want will do more to solve a problem than talking about what you don't have. Shift the focus and open the door to more than a thousand possibilities. -- doug smith

Talking with someone about a problem might not solve the problem...but what if it does? And even if it doesn't, now you know more about each other. -- doug smith  P.S. Talking about it is a good start, but eventually you have to do something to solve that problem. Problem solving is an active phenomenon.

  That problem might be one possibility away from being solved -- but it might take many possibilities to find that one. -- doug smith

  Problems are not usually fun. It may sound funny to say that they could be. But, what if they could be fun? I don't know how to solve every problem but there is fun in the learning. Don't ask me why, just give it a try... -- doug smith

  It's easier to make a problem worse than it is to solve it, so evaluate your solution carefully. -- doug smith

What is it like to jump to solutions? It's deciding before evaluating. It's picking the first thing that sounds right. It's doing anything to cut the tension of dealing with a problem. It may not be your best choice. It's easier to make a problem worse than it is to solve it so evaluate your solution carefully. Will it make things better? Will it prevent harm? Will it please the people effected?  Jump to solutions? Not so fast. Breathe. Evaluate. Select. -- doug smith

  The best thing is to prevent problems and the next best thing is to solve them. -- doug smith

  You could spend a lifetime studying leadership and what leaders do. You'll likely spend your lifetime doing that whether or not you planned on it because when it comes to leadership there is always something more to learn. Most of what high performance leaders do is solve problems and achieve goals.  Much goes into that. Projects come and go. People help (or don't) and they also come and go. To move forward, to implement plans, to make the world a better place, leaders need to solve problems and achieve their goals. What do you think?

  Why do we solve problems? Well, of course, to get rid of the problems. To accomplish our goals. To make work and life better for all of us. And there's more of course. We learn. We build relationships. We expand our thinking. We become more resilient. Solving problems comes with nearly unlimited benefits. The goal of solving a problem often goes beyond solving the problem. Be sure to celebrate the bonus -- it is likely to help you the next time you work to solve a problem. -- doug smith