Problems: A Circle of Life

I have lived a life of problems, each equipped with its own level of urgency and anxiety. Some business, some personal, some out of my control and some that are simply none of my business to solve. The problem with problems is that they do not just live in the moment, problems can be in the past as easily as the future or even the present. They typically bring with them change and change is scary, even when it is valuable change. Unfortunately, we are not automobiles with a sensor to inform us that we have a problem and a manual to show us the remedy. Instead, we are left to an unscripted next move, like playing chess against some sort of invisible grand master. To wait would be best, I could ponder, review and execute. But the urgency weighs heavy, the time to act must surely be now and I execute quickly. Perhaps it is on the mark, but history proves contrary, and each quick mark is followed by a new problem to solve and another pound of urgency to carry. Slowly and without warning, the weight can grow to such a level that it pins down the individual and halts decision making. The control is gone, the freedom is diminished and the hope is lost. It is a painful process that I have been watching for years. From friends growing up, to tenants, to those we work with in the homeless community. The power of choice is the only measurable form of wealth and the absence of it is absolute poverty. 

I have heard a lot of buzz phrases about problems from my dad since I was a kid. A problem identified is a problem half solved or there are three kinds of problems, My Problem, Your Problem and No Problem. We discussed situational leadership and decision making at length growing up while burning brush and blackberry bushes. The takeaway was always the same, people fear problems and problems seldom go away on their own. I learned this fact in a very mortal way when I was diagnosed with cancer, to know is to confirm the problem that may have a very dire outcome, to not know or avoid it is a sure and dire outcome. These experiences along with many critical decision points in my life as an entrepreneur, father and husband have crafted my personal philosophy on problem solving. I talk in the first person, which is always dangerous, but my hope is that any who read it may do so through the lens of compassion as that it is the lens is it intended. 

The Race: There are three typical immediate reactions to any problem, The How, The What and The When. These three are typically used to prescribe the most dangerous word in the pyramid of problem solving, Blame. How did this happen? What did you do? and When did you find out? To many managers, blame is more important than the solution or the problem itself. Like some sort of one-sided personality assessment, problems are used as tools of diagnosing a person's intelligence or capability. It is usually followed by the manager finding a phone booth to change into a Superman costume to fly in and fix the problem while ignoring the source of the information. To many employees, this naturally creates a desire to go to extreme lengths to avoid blame. Typically, the lengths they will go to hide problems is determined by their individual power of choice. Many with lower levels of choice have large amounts to lose in the blame game. So they hide the football, kick the can and win the prize of worry. Sometimes it catches up to them and they lose, other times it does not and the company loses. 

Problems are best treated as a race. When a doctor suspects a serious issue like a heart attack, the race begins to diagnose and treat the ailment, only after the resolution is the focus turned to what can be learned. It might be improved diagnostic practices, surgical techniques, a new diet or medication. All problem of any kind are best treated in this manner. When the problem is identified the best of the best view it as a chance to work together. The very best problem solvers view the success of a business as directly linked to the speed and efficiency of their organization in identifying problems. A problem identified is truly half solved. In the game of football, when the ball is fumbled, the initial reaction is not to blame the person who dropped it, but rather to get to the ball and retrieve it. The autopsy has to come last. 

Traditionally while the solution is being found, the attention comes to The Who. The responsible party must face the music. Perhaps it is a public execution, perhaps a loss of autonomy, perhaps they are just out of the good ol boys club. Either way, they are a leper and are to be quarantined like a puppy who chewed his master’s shoes. The problem with this method is that we lose out on all the learning. The person loses confidence and views the experience as a definition rather than a situation. Their value is now defined, looking back at the situation is now a black hole of sorrow and regret. They have learned a lesson to avoid the black hole and missed the penultimate lesson of personal development. The boss gets to feel powerful, because the ability to reduce the choices of another is power. The power to punish is a manager’s way of saying that he/she is the boss, so that the others may see and respect that power. unfortunately, fear and respect are often mistaken for each other by the receiver. 

The race is won through the completion of the four elements of problem solving, Identification, Type, Resolution and Illumination.  I have outlined each of them below: 

Problem Identification: The person who identifies the problem is the hero of the story. They are to be celebrated. The more rapidly a problem is identified, the more options that one has to solve the problem.  We must do more than not shoot the messenger, if this is a race we want to win, we must encourage and show gratitude towards the identifier.  Even if that person created the problem.

Problem Type: Is the problem Situational or Systemic? The greatest issue in my opinion in business is the incorrect diagnosis of problem type. A situational solution on a systemic problem is the management equivalent to putting duck tape on a bullet hole. It may work initially, but in time it will fail. A systemic solution to a situational problem is the gateway to bureaucracy and the crippling of entrepreneurship. I see you scraped your knee in the park, You can no longer go to the park without constant supervision. 

Resolution: Now that you know the type of problem you are facing, it is time to resolve the thing. This is why we get paid the big bucks, time to be a manager. In my opinion that answer that is incorrect. The primary role of a manager is to encourage a safe environment for the quickest problem identification as possible, guide the determination of the problem type and mentor the resolution. If every time my son fails to make his bed I jump in there and do it for him, I am robbing him of the growth. If an employee makes a mistake, the redemption is found in resolution. Removing this opportunity from a teammate is akin to paying for a college class and never attending. The failure is the tuition paid, the resolution is the growth project (learning). 

In the resolution process it is important to continue to consider what type of problem you are working with, Systemic or Situation. At a basic level, a situational problem is typically solved through training and a systemic problem is solved through an improvement to a process. I like to ask the following question, If I do nothing, is the problem likely to regularly and predictably repeat? If yes, then you need to fix a process, if no, then you likely need to prescribe some training. 

Illumination: To see is to have direction. We are not nocturnal, we don't see well in the dark. When industry wanted to move to 24 hour a day production, the first step was to provide light. When an employee or team is enlightened on a failure, it is to be celebrated in the same manner that we celebrate the rising of a new day. To have the light means that you are no longer in the dark, to have the light means the likelihood of continuing to trip over it reduces dramatically. To know is to increase one’s power of choice, which as we highlighted above is to increase in wealth. 

Now that we have considered the lifecycle of a problem, I would like to discuss why we should not fear them. We have discussed that problems impact choice and choice is wealth, so too many problems limit choices and opportunities. 

Deliver Solutions, Not Problems: This has been on my resume since I started making resumes. The challenge is that many employers don't encourage it and many managers are too self-conscious to want it. A person who looks to solve is always an asset if their mindset is coach able and yours is too. An engaged employee will test you and bring you a variety of problems that they want to solve. Some of those problems you may know about, but are content on leaving them alone. It is a paradigm shift to want to work on solving the status quo and embracing change. When you look at Sears, their catalog was revolutionary, they disrupted businesses and industry through a unique and entrepreneurial approach to problem solving. A customer wants a mail order house, how do I get it to them? We don't ship houses. Well, we do now...zoom! That spirit diminished as the company grew until they were so big that they could not see a world where they did not exist. Enter an online book company. I am convinced that someone inside of Sears had an idea, a solution for a problem that did not exist yet. But the problem was met with criticism over a fear of harming in store sales. The terminal problem was never solved and the rest is history, just like the name. 

Hug a Problem and Fight a Compliment: Pride comes before the fall, steel is forged through extreme environments and pressure. I am not saying that we should constantly be under extreme pressure, but there is no denying that pressure is a part of growth. As we embrace problems as a choice, we eliminate the mental anguish of feeling that we are always dealing with problems that are thrust upon us. This is much more than semantics.  This mental shift not only impacts how we look at the problem, but also how we solve problems. My Grandpa did not have a lot of money and to take his son on an annual fishing trip was a challenge financially, so he kept two glass Folgers jars that he would fill with spare change from his pocket each night. One for the trip out and one for the trip home. He embraced the problem and kept the solution close. Each night that he put a dime or six pennies in the jar was a step towards accomplishing a goal that once seemed impossible. To hug a problem is to reduce self-doubt. One of the most dangerous side effects of problems is the blame that we place upon ourselves. This is way more prevalent in each of us than any 3rd party criticism. We are our own worst critic and each failure is an opportunity for that chorus of doubt to grow louder and louder. A not so subtle reminder that you are human in a very inhumane way. As we hug our problems, we become better at forgiving those that cause problems for us. In doing so, we start the process for being better equipped in forgiving the problems that we cause to ourselves. When you forgive another, you free yourself of resentment. When you can forgive yourself, you become your authentic self. 

In 5th grade I began writing a phrase on my notebook, a phrase that I still write to this day. "The best I have ever been, but not the best I ever will be." For the life of me, I can't remember what made me think of it, but it has been with me ever since and it defines the intention of my journey. As a result, I fight compliments. They are nice to hear and at times maybe they are true or earned, but if my focus is to become a better version of myself, then the accolades are missing perspective. Those accolades are for doing this or that, but they do not factor the sacrifice or those that helped me get to where I am. No man lifts himself to success without sacrificing the things that matter most, but a good leader can be helped to success through the collective sacrifice of many. So if there is to be an accolade of true value, it would be that I helped a person become a version of themselves that they did not know was possible. But if it is being done correctly, the growth would happen in such a way that the person would not notice they were being helped enough to generate a compliment. To becoming the very best version of oneself is an honorable objective no matter where you start or where you end. To encourage others in achieving their goals at the same time is noble. Every bit of ground that you take matters. 

To solve problems is a requirement, to solve problems with intent is a talent and to help another with their problems is a virtue.  May we all seek a virtuous life.