Quick Thoughts on Centered Problem Solving, Part 2

"Nobody can force you to solve your own problems, but don't you want to?"

"Problems are best solved by drawing on the limitless resources of clarity, courage, creativity and compassion."

"We are not defined by our problems but by what we do about them."

"Character grows in the efforts to solve problems, not in the solutions."

"Telling me not to see something as a problem does not solve it."

"At some level everything is a problem. the question is how will you solve it?"

"It helps to start with a problem solving framework even if you completely change it later."

"Problems exist to bring us together, not pull us apart."

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Be a Centered Problem Solver

Problems are best solved by drawing on the limitless resources of clarity, courage, creativity, and compassion.

Develop these. Apply these. Be a centered problem solver.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Bring our workshop Centered Problem Solving to your location. You'd be surprised at how affordable it is, especially if you are in the Colorado front range area.

Build Strong Agreements

Are your constituents on board? Are they on your side? Will they support the solution to your problem with all of their energy and focus and support?

Have you even agreed on what the problem is?

Have you agreed on what your goal is?

Tough problems call for strong agreements.

Even though most problems are due to process issues and not people (accord to William Deming) it is thru people that we solve those problems and achieve our goals.

And that takes agreements.

Build strong agreements at every stage and every step of your problem solving. It will not only seem more centered to you -- it will be.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

When You Don't Know What to Do

When was the last time you had to make a decision but didn't know what to do?

For some people, that's a daily occurrence. When you're lucky -- and very skilled -- it doesn't happen nearly as often.

Centered problem solvers figure out what to do when they don't know what to do. What could that be?
They ask questions. They get help. They stay curious. 

It's easy to become polarized by a problem. Easy, but not useful.

When you don't know what to do, stay centered (breathe!) and curious. There is help somewhere -- maybe what to do is to find that help.

-- Douglas Brent Smith