Share

You can't talk yourself out of a problem unless you share.

-- doug smith

 

Where to Start?

It's harder to solve a problem alone when you are at the center of the problem.

Get another perspective. Stay open to your own part of the problem. Sometimes, deep into the search, we discover that we could be the cause.

Start with reflection. It could provide direction.

-- doug smith 

Dig Deeper Still

 

Obvious solutions are great, except that they seldom work. The chances are that the solution that first occurs to you has already been tried. 

Sticky, mysterious, subtle problems evade the obvious. They hide. They mask. They simmer.

Mysterious problems seldom surrender to obvious solutions. Dig deeper. 

-- doug smith

Solve It and Move On

If you work long enough you'll notice something that will give you a strong perspective. 

Every year there is a new problem that is capable of completely destroying you. Solve it and move on.

No reason to surrender now.

-- doug smith

In Search...

A problem is a dynamic in search of a dance.

-- doug smith

 

Centered Selves

When we are off center it impacts our results.

Our solutions will seem 0ff-center as long as we are.

Let's start by centering ourselves. Restoring confidence. Maintaining balance.

Centered problem solving requires centered selves.

-- doug smith

Pause With Uncertainty

Leaders and others strain under the weight of not knowing. The tension of transition that is uncertain can feel unbearable. We want answers. We want decisions. We want to move ahead.

I've learned to pause. If there is a moment to breathe, take it. If there is time to make a decision, make it -- clearly and unemotionally.

Speed is wonderful, until it isn't. Going too fast and over a cliff is, well, going too fast.

Can you endure the tension of uncertainty long enough to discover objective truth?

It's not obvious. It's not easy. It's just best.

-- doug smith

 

Obvious?

The best leaders solve more problems than they cause. That may be more obvious than common.

-- doug smith

Decisions and Solutions

The decisions you make during problem solving are as important as the solutions you develop, even if they do not lead to solutions.

Decisions around relationships, around results, around permanence and transition. 

Do you want everyone to be better off because of the resolution of the problem, or do you just want a quick fix?

Do you value how people respond to your efforts? Do you really know more about the impact and urgency of the situation than the people who will be most affected by your solutions?

Decide carefully. You know that, and I know that, but sometimes we do forget, don't we?

-- doug smith

 

Dig Deeper

It's the inner workings where the problems are the most persistent.

It takes longer to dig deeper. 

Dig deeper.

-- doug smith

 

First, the Agreement

We need to agree on the problem before we can agree on the solution.

-- doug smith

A Quote from James Clear

 "When you ignore a problem that is small enough to handle, it often grows into a problem too big to manage."

-- James Clear

Source: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/july-16-2026

What's Possible

Problems that seem unsolvable at the micro-level may be manageable at their macro-level.

Check your perspective. Gauge your distance. Focus on what is possible. 

Ask the questions you'd ask about any mystery. What's going on? How did we get here? Where do we want to go?

What other questions do you ask in order to move from impossible to possible?

-- doug smith

 

Right In Front of You

It isn't possible or necessary to solve every problem. Focus on the problem in front of you.

Solving that first problem builds momentum and experience for solving the next problem. You'll never solve them all, but imagine how much better things will be after you've solved the ones right in front of you.

-- doug smith

 

Collaborate Instead of Commanding

 

As a recovering know-it-all I remember making many mistakes, trying to solve someone else's problem. I've learned that maybe, just maybe, I can help, but it is highly unlikely that I'll solve that problem.

The problem with solving someone else's problem is that it may not fit into their schedule. Or their plan.

Work together. Collaborate. Share. If the solution emerges between you, let them take credit for the brilliance of the solution. You'll never run out of problems to help on, unless you try to solve them all on your own.

-- doug smith

A Touch of the Poet

Highly structured? Wildly improvised? 

Harmonic, or distorted? Fast or slow?

Analytics help, but there's nothing quite like a touch of the poet in solving problems. The deep pondering, the pedantic piecing together, the frantic splash of passion.

Whether or not they know it every problem solver has a touch of the poet.

Are you in touch with your touch of the poet?

-- doug smith