How To Solve A Problem: Part One - Problem Definition
What's the biggest problem you need to figure out? Right now, you may not have any idea how to solve your predicament. No solutions come to mind…not even bad unworkable solutions.
However, here’s one thing you do know…that you’ve got a problem. So, rather than fretting, let’s harness the emotional energy around your problem and start with where you’re currently at: In 25 words or less, write down your problem as you currently see it…
Twenty-five words isn’t many, is it? That was intentional, I didn’t want a “Dear Abby” letter. If your description is too verbose, you’re likely hauling in some of the assumptions, beliefs and half-truths that are making your search for a solution so tough.
A Vital Problem Solving Point…
A huge blunder prevents most people solving their problems quickly and efficiently. Listen carefully, this information is crucial: Regardless of how smart you are, it’s impossible to solve a problem if you study it from the wrong perspective. Stop and reread that last sentence. (If it’s the second time you read that last sentence feel free to continue…)
The reason you’re at a complete loss to solve your problem is because you’re sweating over it from the wrong angle; an unhelpful point of view. A wonderful solution is under your nose, but beyond your current outlook - hidden in plain sight. I call these unseen solutions “Outside Insights”.
And that’s why I asked you to write down your current perspective on your problem. The crux of the Perspective PowerTM approach is to apply an exquisitely simple system to your current point of view, flip your outlook every which way…and stay hawk-eyed for Outside Insights.
More Reasons…
Also, the physical act of putting pen to paper and seeing your problem written down in “black and white” forces you to acknowledge that you've got a problem. Don't feel anxious or guilty, you’re on the road to a solution. Remember, committing a problem to paper becomes a commitment to solving it.
In addition, writing a succinct problem statement helps you attain a clear understanding of your problem. Such clarity is incredibly powerful, influencing the conscious and unconscious parts of your mind and directing you towards relevant solutions. It’s as if you’ve sent a memo to your unconscious mind: “Hey, I’m looking to solve this problem, start searching for Outside Insights to a solution.” This process is called Priming.
What Am I Missing?
Your perspective on any situation can only be “wrong” in one of two ways. It can be incomplete and/or inaccurate - You miss stuff and/or you make stuff up. And, in general, the stuff you miss cripples your thinking - including your ability to solve problems. (Incidentally, the stuff you make up fuels your toxic emotions. This fact is the key to enhancing your emotional intelligence.)
And so, once you’ve written a problem statement, you’re ready to ask yourself one of the two core Perspective PowerTM questions: What am I missing?
To answer this question, I’m going to show you how to reframe your problem, presuppose multiple solutions and be mindfully forgetful.
For the record…
At present you’re utterly mindless of the extent to which your brain repeatedly filters out the clues you need to solve your problems. And so, blissfully unaware, you stumble into mental bear-traps that render problems unsolvable. It’s hard to make the intuitive leap and spot the Outside Insights you're missing through introspection, you need a strategic approach.
I don’t want you to waste a second of your valuable time. And so I’ve ruthlessly streamlined my Perspective PowerTM approach to problem solving into a handful of idiot-proof strategies…No offense!
And yet, while you definitely need a strategic approach, it’s vital you keep flexible. Approach these Perspective PowerTM tools with an open mind, an intellectual irreverence and a questioning attitude. And, like a trumpet player in a jazz band, be prepared to riff and improvise. Morph your viewpoint every which way—expand it, flip it, move it side-to-side and up and down.
Finally, be open to novel ideas at any point in the process and don’t judge them prematurely. Let’s proceed to the next step in the Perspective PowerTM approach to problem solving…
