What is it like to jump to solutions? It's deciding before evaluating. It's picking the first thing that sounds right. It's doing anything to cut the tension of dealing with a problem. It may not be your best choice.
It's easier to make a problem worse than it is to solve it so evaluate your solution carefully.
Will it make things better? Will it prevent harm? Will it please the people effected?
Jump to solutions? Not so fast.
Breathe. Evaluate. Select.
-- doug smith
The best thing is to prevent problems and the next best thing is to solve them.
-- doug smith
Most of what high performance leaders do is solve problems and achieve their goals.
Get good at one, and it will help you with the other.
Solving problems. Achieving your goals. There really is no avoiding it.
-- doug smith
Why do we solve problems? Well, of course, to get rid of the problems. To accomplish our goals. To make work and life better for all of us.
And there's more of course. We learn. We build relationships. We expand our thinking. We become more resilient. Solving problems comes with nearly unlimited benefits.
The goal of solving a problem often goes beyond solving the problem.
Be sure to celebrate the bonus -- it is likely to help you the next time you work to solve a problem.
-- doug smith
Problems come in many forms. How we look at them matters.
While one person might see a failed goal, another might see the same situation as a valuable piece of learning, or progress toward a larger goal.
Some problems are poorly framed expectations. Whatever we'd been expecting was inaccurate and maybe even unreasonable. That we didn't get what we expected was not because of a problem, but because of what we expected that never had a chance.
If a problem seems unsolvable it is worth at least asking: was my expectation off on this? Is it really a problem at all? Or is it an opportunity to check your perspective and celebrate your learning?
-- doug smith
