Maybe Change?

Sometimes a problem will require you to change before IT will.

Are you willing to make that change?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Centered Problem Solvers Check Their Ego

Does your ego ever get in the way of solving your problems?

Sometimes I cling to an idea that no longer makes sense. Sometimes I avoid launching into the analysis of a problem because it might put my assumption on the line. It could even bruise my ego. Yikes.

We can do better than that.

Sometimes my biggest obstacle in solving problems is my ego. Once I let go of that the solution is clear.

Are you willing to let go of your ego long enough to really see the problem's root cause?

I think you'll like the results.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Increase the Compassion

It isn't easy, is it? Our reflexes, when we feel harm, is to harm in return. That's a formula for endless cycles of harm, and no end to our problems.

What if we paused instead?

What if we increased the compassion instead of the vengeance?

Some problems simply require us to increase our compassion to find the solution.

As hard as that sounds, it's easier in the long term.

How can you increase your compassion toward that tough problem today?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Problems Will Teach You Either Way

Have you learned much from solving problems?

I've found that in every problem there are essential lessons to learn. By learning these lessons I've been able to avoid repeating some problems. Other problems have been avoided altogether by heeding the lessons of the problem at hand.

By solving a problem we get the benefit of the solution as well as the lessons that the problem had to teach us.

But if we don't solve the problem, we still get to learn. Sometimes, we get to learn over and over.

Failing to solve a problem may teach you more than solving it.

You just might not enjoy while you learn.

What have you learned from solving problems?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Keep Focused

Did that big problem throw you off center? Do you have an unresolved problem that's distracting you from your goal?

Centered problem solving keeps us focused whether or not the problem is solved.

We stay focused when we remember to come back to our center, to breathe, to stay aware of what is going on right now without judging it or pulling it into the past. Centered problem solving keeps us grounded when the emotional wind threatens to blow us away.

Find the balance you need for this situation, right now, within your strengths of courage, creativity, clarity and compassion. Somewhere within that reserve is your ability to solve that problem and remain focused during the difficult work of finding the right solution.

You can do it.

You've done it before.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Centered Leaders Stay Focused

Are you easily distracted?

Many of us are blessed with the ability to shift our focus instantly. We can move our attention from the problem we're working on to a few items on our phone. We can forget what's pressing on us and drift into long periods of cat videos or project management cartoons.

Centered leaders stay focused. Centered problem solving keeps us focused whether or not the problem is solved. 

The goal, to put it simply, is the goal. All the problem is doing is standing in the way of the goal.

Are you a centered leader?

What are you doing to continue in your leadership development?

- Douglas Brent Smith

Front Range Leadership offers fast, affordable leadership training through workshops and webinars.

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

Quick Thoughts on Centered Problem Solving, Part 1

Sometimes a quick thought is all you need to get moving on that problem. Sometimes pondering a quick reflection can spark another idea. And sometimes, it's just fun (and necessary) to keep things short.

Here are some brief thoughts on centered problem solving. Some have been tweeted by me, and some appear here for the first time.

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Some problems are mostly a misunderstanding. Check to see if you truly share a common understanding of the situation.

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If you see it as a problem, then it is a problem.

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It takes more than an hour to solve a truly entrenched problem.

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Solving problems will give you energy and motivation -- oh yes, and then the problem is gone.

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Sometimes problem solving is accelerated change management.

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Problems require us to advance our knowledge and expand our training.

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You may not be able to solve a problem and yet can still turn it into a positive experience.

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Learning better ways to solve problems creates a sense of satisfaction that is unique and liberating.

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Centered problem solving is about making strong, informed decisions.

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There is no one magic problem solving formula but there are many useful ones. It just depends on the problem.

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Each problem solved can be a step toward fulfilling our mission.

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When others discourage you from solving your problem it just means that they don't yet fully understand its importance.


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Every problem is a test of character.

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Every problem is a reason to improve.

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Sometimes people define you by how you solve problems.

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Your problems are not waiting for solutions -- they may be perfectly happy tormenting you. Solving your problems is up to you.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Test The Data

Are you analytic? Do you dig deep into the data of a problem to find the root cause?

Even those of us who embrace analysis can forget that the data may be flawed. It may reflect an undetected perspective. It may even be  compromised with an agenda.

No matter what the data says (and it's easy to miss this when we really like what the data says) it is important to check it for accuracy. Test it.

Successful centered problem solvers embrace the data but test it carefully.

Maybe it's true, maybe it's useful -- but maybe it's not.

Who do you have checking your data?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Solve Without Creating New Problems

Is your solution symptom-free? Can you solve that pesky problem without creating a new problem?

We do not solve our problems by creating problems for other people.

As tempting as that may sometimes be, solutions that create problems for other people eventually create problems for us as well.

Besides, is that how you'd like to build a reputation? Probably not.

Be careful about solutions that push the problem down the line.

If the problem is not gone, it's still your problem.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Turn Your Problem Into A Positive Experience

What if you can't solve a problem? Are you doomed to negative experiences from an unsolvable problem?

You may not be able to solve a problem and yet can still turn it into a positive experience.

Where do the positives originate?

- Better, deeper conversations
- More honest, open relationships
- Stronger, sharper skills
- A wealth of experience
- Wisdom that only problem solving builds (even if the problem isn't solved)
- Humility
- Motivation to innovate

What other positives have you experienced in an otherwise frustrating problem solving attempt?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Advance Your Learning

How is your growth cycle going? Are you learning the skills it takes to solve the problems you encounter -- and will encounter in the future?

Problems require us to advance our knowledge and expand our training.

What's your next area for training?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Check Your Design

Could your problem be in the design?

Broken processes, faulty products, short-sighted services...all of these and more can sometimes be the fault of poor design. To fix a problem, we should consider the design as part of our analysis.

A problem embedded in the design can be hard to spot if we take the design for granted.

It helps to look at the design with fresh eyes. Ask an outsider to assess the usefulness and friendliness of your design. Test it against expectations.

While it can be frustrating to think that a problem may have been baked in from the beginning, very often that's the case. It's not too late. Look at the design now.

-- Douglas Brent Smith