When I was in grade school, I had math homework every night.
And quite often I’d get stuck on a problem.
And if I was stuck long enough I would sometimes ask my dad to come help me.
My dad would come over to the kitchen table and I’d explain to him:
The instructions say to do ____________.
And I already tried _________ and ________.
The issue is that ____________.
And I can’t do ________ because _________.
Oh. wait a minute… ah. I see what my problem was.
Ok I’m set now.
By explaining the problem to him, the solution became apparent to me, without my dad saying a word.
The act of restating the task and naming the constraints out loud was enough to help me see the problem in a new way.
This happened enough times that it became a running joke that all I really needed was for my dad to come stand next to me.
Do you have a problem you’re stuck on?
- The analytical model keeps breaking.
- Your direct report follows directions but doesn’t own the outcome.
- Your client won’t call you back.
- Your busy schedule makes it hard to get focused work done.
How long has the problem been going?
How much energy is this costing you?
What’s the toll of having to address it again and again?
The good news is:
- You are more capable than you realize.
- You have better ideas than you realize.
- You might already know the solution.
But you may not have a good process for seeing your problems clearly, organizing your thoughts, and reframing your options in a way that opens new doors.
Tomorrow at 3pm ET I’m hosting an online workshop called ‘See the Problem, Solve the Problem’.
In 60 minutes, you’ll discover 10 ways to define your problems more clearly and creatively, so you can find the solutions more easily.
Go here to sign up. A recording is included if you register before start time.
