The Invisible Mentor

Archive for September, 2009

I read Key to Yourself by Venice Bloodworth and extracted 10 lessons I think are worth learning. This is a book I really enjoy and read each year. It is not for everyone because it is very Christian-oriented, but not preachy. First published in 1952, the focus is on Law of Attraction, long before the term became “cool.”

1. Fear nothing, you have the inner power to conquer all
2. Life gives back to us exactly what we give
3. Thoughts are causes, conditions are effects. If you don’t like the condition change your thoughts
4. Fear makes cowards of us all
5. The secret to success is to fill your subconscious with desire, ambition, courage, determination, enthusiasm, and faith in yourself
6. The greatest barriers to individual progress are conformity and a slavish devotion to precedent
7. What people are and do depend entirely on the use of their inner power
8. Most of us reflect the opinions of others – we fear the search for truth. Instead, we should think new thoughts and blaze new trails
9. Health, happiness and prosperity are not limited to time, place or individual
10. There is plenty of time to accomplish everything that is important to us

“For the best verse hasn’t been rhymed yet.

The best house hasn’t been planned

The highest peak hasn’t been climbed yet,

The mightiest rivers aren’t spanned.

Don’t worry and fret, faint hearted

The chances have just begun,

For the Best jobs haven’t been started,

The Best work hasn’t been done.”

Braley

The ability to problem solve is a valuable life skill. Below is a simple yet detailed problem solving process that any

Turning Things Upside Down

executive can use.

Problem Solving 101

1. Preparation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Verification/Implementation

Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

Stage I: Preparation (Research/Gather ideas)

1. Describe a challenge or problem that you’re having. Writing down the problem makes it more concrete for you. Make sure that your problem statement is not too broadly or narrowly defined
2. Develop a set of decision criteria to judge the quality of the solutions
3. Describe the root causes (not symptoms) of the problem or challenge. Uncover the facts surrounding the problem
4. Who do you know that has experienced a similar problem? If you know someone:
   1. How did they resolve the problem?
   2. Would that solution work for you?
5. Collect all the information that you can find relating to possible solutions
   1. Look for case studies in your industry and unrelated industries
   2. Conduct research on the internet
   3. Conduct research using commercial databases, you can access many through your public library portal
   4. Interview subject matter experts
   5. Brainstorm with colleagues
   6. Conduct focus group interviews
6. Read all the information gathered and synthesize them
7. Extract all the relevant information by distilling the facts pertinent to your problem
8. Formulate options and test alternatives

Read the post How to Analyze Information to evaluate the quality of the data you gathered.

Stage II: Incubation (Lay the issue aside for a period of time)

1. Mull it over
2. Take a break, or work on another project
3. Let all the information sit for a while

Stage III: Illumination (The moment when the new solution (idea) emerges)

1. You have an aha moment
2. You see the problem in a completely different light
3. Or a solution (s) comes to you
4. You now have an opening to develop a strategy to resolve your problem

Stage IV: Verification/Implementation (Test out the idea then apply it)

1. Test the idea to see if it’s a workable solution to your problem
2. Use the criteria you developed in Stage I to judge the quality of the solution
3. Refine the idea if you have to
4. Implement the solution
5. Evaluate the solution
6. If you find that the solution doesn’t work, go through the process again

The type of problem solver you are informs how you approach the challenges, problems and issues that you will inevitably face in your work and life. The problem solving process outlined above is solid and has been used successfully for decades. The entire process can take hours or it can take months depending on the complexity of the problem.

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”

There are times when you have a specific outcome for a problem. In such instances, you have to reverse the problem solving process, that is, work backwards methodically and fill in the missing information.

To reverse problem solve, there are six steps:

1. Define the problem
   1. What are the knowns?
   2. What are the unknowns?
2. What is the end result (goal)?
3. Develop a strategy to achieve the goal (solve the problem)
4. What are the necessary steps to achieve the goal?
5. Solve the problem using the steps identified to achieve the goals
6. Does the solution make sense? Is it the best solution? Check the solution by working forwards

An Application

When I was in college, during a very difficult test for my Logic class, we were given the first two and the last two steps for a logic problem. We had the starting and ending point.

I looked at the first two steps and did not have a clue what the next step was, and leaving the problem was not an option since it was worth 30 percent of the total marks.

Without even knowing about Stephen Covey’s “start with the end in mind,” I decided to start with the last two steps and work my way to the starting point. I remember at the time just taking one step at a time. I would ask myself what the preceding step was, and the one before that, and so on. And in no time I was at the second to last step.

I was happy as a “pig in mud.” I reversed the process when I wrote the answer in my answer book. Many failed that exam so I was happy with my 78 percent.

The point of this story is to demonstrate that it is important to solve the problem one step at a time so you do not become overwhelmed.

Your Application

Describe a problem that you have where there is a specific outcome, how might you solve it using the reverse problem solving model?

Related Resources

Inspirer, Reflector, Innovator or Influencer, Which One Are You?

What Type of Problem Solver Are You?

The Importance of Problem-Solving by Ken Watanabe

Every day we are bombarded with problems to solve and decisions to make, and the quality of our solutions and decisions are only as good as the information they are based on. With so much information at our fingertips, how can we systematically analyze the information for better results. As a professional with over 15 years experience in research, I constantly have to analyze the data gathered, so the information requested by my client is streamlined and not overwhelming. Here is a simple process that could help you:

Analyze Information

• Skim and Scan
• Determine accuracy, relevance and reliability of information
• Differentiate
• Identify propaganda, bias
• Recognize omissions and faulty logic
• Recognize interrelationships

Step 1. Review the questions

Review the questions generated before the information was gathered. Why was this particular information necessary? What questions was it supposed to answer? What kinds of decisions will be made based on this information? Renew your understanding of the central issues and key questions.

Unanticipated results should not be ignored. Putting information together will often raise important, unforeseen and relevant questions. Note these for future reference and point them out when presenting the results.

Step 2. Organize the information

• Gather together all relevant information that has been collected
• Sort information into parts which belong together
• Some may have already been analyzed. Some may be partly analyzed, and some may need analysis

Step 3. Decide how to analyze information

Analysis could simply be adding up numbers and averaging them, or comparing information to examine the relationship of one thing to another or two things together. Pay attention to the source of the information.

Step 4. Analyze the information

• Look out for biased information and faulty logic
• Take note of similarities
• Contrast information by setting two things in opposition to show the differences
• Relate pieces of information to establish relationships between and among them
• Take note of emerging themes
• Identify gaps in the information
• Do you have the information you need to solve the problem or make the decision?

Step 5. Integrate the information

Put the analyzed parts together in a way that tells the complete story. It is impossible to gather all the information you will ever need, so there are times when you have to make intelligent assumptions.

Note: Pay attention to where you collect your information. Good sources are government websites, university sources, commercial online databases, which you can readily access from most public library portals, community watch dog agencies and reputable consumer groups are a few that readily come to mind.

What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right side) by email or RSS Feed.

Related Post

Should We Be Worried About Fast Food Content?

Do You Have This Critical Workplace Skill?

How to Read to Solve a Problem

I am reading Key to Yourself by Venice Bloodworth for about the 10th time, and each time I zero in on something new. Though I have seen this before, for some reason it is resonating more with me now.

“Every achievement in business, literature, philosophy, or science has found its source and expression through the mental efforts of the world’s leaders. The outstanding figures of tomorrow are the creative and constructive thinkers of today.”

Do you agree with this statement? How can you be a more constructive thinker today to shape your destiny? To think constructively, I have been practicing mindfulness. It is not easy, but it gets easier every day.