The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Problem Solving’

You have heard the phrase that assume makes an ass out of you and me. And in The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, one of the four agreements is Don’t make assumptions (the other three are Be impeccable with your word, Always do your best and Don’t take things personally).

But there are situations where you have to make assumptions. Let’s say you are working on a new project, and you have to gather information to understand the situation. You talk to the stakeholders, you observe how things are done, and you use other types of data collection techniques such as surfing the internet or online databases. At some point you have to stop collecting information and start analyzing what you have found. You stop collecting information because it doesn’t make sense cost-wise, or you simply cannot find more information on the topic.

The point is that you will never have all the information you need to make decisions in life, so you have to make assumptions based on your experience – what you already know. But you have to make it clear what assumptions you have made. So a simple rule to follow is to state:

1. What the facts are
2. What you don’t know
3. What assumptions you’ve made to fill in the information gaps, and why you’ve made them

So there are situations when you have to make assumptions, but making assumptions about people because you do not like them, or whatever reason, or making assumptions about situations and circumstances, shouldn’t be done lightly. Follow the three steps above.

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.

Book link is Amazon affiliate link.

The ability to write and problem solve effectively are  excellent skills to have. Below are three websites that allow you to cultivate those skills.

Daily Writing Tips

This website is a free subscription-based one. I like this website because it presents words that people often use incorrectly and provides examples for correct usage. Many people will find this website very useful and it will prevent you from making embarrassing mistakes.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/

The English Club

Though the English Club website is for people who want to learn or teach English, it has a lot of good information. If you spend some time browsing the website you’ll discover a very good grammar guide among other things.

http://www.englishclub.com/

Ask Nature

Ask Nature is a project of the Biomimicy Institute. If you have challenges to resolve and problems to solve and are looking for some creative solutions, the Ask Nature  portal is the perfect place to start. Biomimicry is a new field, only about 20 years old, is innovation inspired by nature. To start the problem solving process, at the Ask Nature website, type in your question in the search box. You will receive responses that will take you down a path that you would likely have not taken, isn’t that what innovation is about?

http://asknature.org

Please refer to How to Problem Solve, Reverse Problem Solving and  How to Read to Problem Solve. 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. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

Every so often I present websites that I think you should know about. A few days ago I presented a hybrid creativity model based on Graham Wallas‘ and James Webb Young’s creativity model. In the model you have general information, which are things you discover and file away for future use. The websites today are geared toward rounding out your general knowledge. The more varied your knowledge, the more creative you are. The creative you are, the more creative ideas you unearth for problem solving.

One website I added to the mix because many people travel so I thought it would be handy for discounted airfares.

Space Adventures

Provides private spaceflight opportunities.  It’s the first company to have taken clients into space.      

Virgin Galactic

Are you interested in space travel? Virgin Galactic is a space tourism operator which will be providing sub-orbital flights. It is an offshoot of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson‘s enterprise.

Ask Nature

It’s the design portal for the Biomimicry Institute. Biomimicry is a fairly new field where nature is used to inspire problem solving. The Ask Nature website is filled with lots of information that will round out your general knowledge.

Travel Alerts

You will find discounted vacation and last minute travel. Get the alerts sent to your email box each week http://www.travelalerts.com.

If money were no object, would you invest in space travel? Please keep the conversation flowing, click on the comment link below and leave a note for me. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

Ted talk: Biomimicry in action: Janine Benyus

Biomimicry in action: Janine Benyus

Space Tourism Markets What We Know And What We Don’t Know

Space Tourism Markets What We Know And What We Don’t Know

Photo Credit: Zemanta
Video Credit: YouTube via Apture

Problem solving is a coveted skill in business today, and those who excel at that skill will progress farther than those who don’t.  If problem solving is not one of your best skills, the good news is that it’s teachable, and there are several links in this post to articles that will help you to become a better problem solver. But today, I am more interested in the way in which you approach the problems that you encounter. Have you ever thought about the kind of problem solver you are?

This is an educational blog and my intent is to assist you in mentoring yourself by providing you with relevant information to give you an edge. We have talked about reading to solve problems, to master subjects, how to read and so on. These are often things that you usually wouldn’t thing about, after all you are very busy.

After analyzing the interviews for my book Tales of People Who Get It, and many of the other interviews that I have conducted since, I noticed a pattern emerging in the way in which people problem solve. Take a look at the four types of problem solvers and determine which one most closely reflect you. This is important because it informs the way you approach problem solving. Please also refer to my article Which Kind of Problem Solver Are You?

Inspirers: They nurture people and relationships and have the ability to inspire confidence. Whenever they face a challenge or problem, people rally around them offering their assistance. They have easy access to the information that they require to solve their problems.

Reflectors: These problem solvers do not rush when making decisions, instead they take their time, mull things over for a while, step back from the situation to get a new perspective and then act. After they have collected the information they need to problem solve, they mull it over for a while.

Innovators: These individuals have the unique ability to come up with creative solutions to any challenge or problem that they might encounter. It could be an entirely new solution or the blending of two known solutions into something fresh and exciting.

Influencers: These problem solvers are expert at getting others to support their cause, and they excel at finding solutions to “people” problems that involve change. Influencers are great at getting people to “buy in.”

Please refer to How to Problem Solve, Reverse Problem Solving and  How to Read to Problem Solve. Let’s keep the conversation flowing, click on the comment link below and leave a note for me. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here. View the video on the Home and About Page and let me know what you think.

For your research and writing needs, consider my firm Ambeck Enterprise for white papers, articles, fact sheets, anniversary booklets, you name it. Since I am the best kept secret you may not know this, but I have over 15 years research and writing experience. I KNOW content. And if you cannot figure out which books to read for professional development, I am your WOMAN. I can assist you with that too. Visit my sales page for resources such as The Invisible Mentor Toolkit and The Problem Solver Toolkit to assist you in acquiring wisdom from a distance. For free white papers click here.

Related Resources

The Importance of Problem-Solving by Ken Watanabe (The Huffington Post Online, April 23, 2009)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Solving Problems vs Fixing Problems (newcommbiz.com)

Do you have a difficult problem that you are trying to solve? A systematic approach to problem solving will make your task that much simpler. Below is a process to assist you, follow the steps in How to Read to Solve a Problem and record the information in the problem solver template. Read the blog posts How to Problem Solve and Reverse Problem Solving: When You Must Have a Certain Outcome for additional information. Information from this post was extracted from the Invisible Mentor Toolkit which I developed to assist you in acquiring information and knowledge from a distance.

How to Read to Solve a Problem

1. Describe a problem that you are having in your organization simply, clearly and not too broadly or narrowly.
2. Uncover the facts surrounding the problem
3. What are the underlying causes of the problem?
   1. Are the underlying causes internal or external to the organization?
   2. Are the underlying causes solvable?
4. Look at problems in many different ways, and find new perspectives that no one else has taken
5. On a blank sheet of paper do a brain dump for 15 minutes, writing down as many answers and solutions to the problem. If necessary, go back to Step 1 and redefine the problem
6. Compile a bibliography of books that could potentially help to resolve the problem?
   1. Ask colleagues for book recommendations
   2. Ask subject matter experts for recommendations
   3. Check the bibliography of scholarly journals and books on the topic
   4. Search the catalogues, or ask a librarian at a good reference library to find titles
7. Spend half a day at the library inspecting[1] the books listed in the compiled bibliography to:
   1. Whittle down the number of titles on the list
   2. Get a cursory understanding of the topic/situation
   3. Determine which  books say anything important about the topic of interest
8. With a cursory understanding of the subject:
   1. Develop questions you are trying to answer or issues to resolve
   2. Clarify the information that you are seeking. Distinguish between ‘must know’ and ‘nice to know’
   3. Write down the elements of what you require
   4. How will you know when you have found the answers?
9. Inspect the books identified as relevant to solving the problem
   1. Find the most relevant passages and record page numbers
   2. Record the answers to the questions by authors (Refer to the Problem Solver Template)
10. Read and analyze all the information gathered
    1. Distill the information germane to the problem
    2. Compare and contrast the answers to each question
    3. Reorganize the information in many ways. Combine, and recombine, ideas, and thoughts into different combinations no matter how incongruent or unusual
    4. Draw conclusions and identify possible solutions (Do not limit yourself to what has been done before but be open to new and better alternative solutions)
    5. Which option best serves the organization?
    6. Is the option consistent with the mission, goals and objectives of the organization
    7. Select the best option
11. Implement the solution
12. Evaluate the solution
13. If the solution does not work, repeat Step 10 c through to 10 d

[1] Refer to How To Read A Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading to find out how to quickly inspect a book.

The Problem Solver Template

Title of Book/Name of Author

Why is Author Qualified to Answer?

Question1

Answer 1/Page Found

Question2

Answer 2/Page Found

Question 3

Answer 3/Page Found

Question 4

Answer 4/Page Found

Question 5

Answer 5/Page Found

Let me know what you think about the questions. It is my vow to assist you on your professional development journey. If there are additional ways that I may be of service please let me know.

Click on the comment link below and leave a note for me. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

For your research and writing needs, consider my firm Ambeck Enterprise for white papers, articles, fact sheets, anniversary booklets, you name it. Since I am the best kept secret you may not know this, but I have over 15 years research and writing experience. I KNOW content. And if you cannot figure out which books to read for professional development, I am your WOMAN. I can assist you with that too. Visit my sales page for resources such as The Invisible Mentor Toolkit to assist you in acquiring wisdom from a distance. For free white papers click here.

Photo Credit: Google via Apture

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

Many times we face problems that we think are unique to us, but similar problems have already been solved in a related or unrelated industry. How do we cross sectors to see what’s going on in their backyard, so that we may learn from them? How can we cross pollinate our ideas for superior solutions?

I love Fast Company magazine, and I was completely mesmerized while reading their recent article “Does Architecture Have a Foot Fetish?” by Michael Cannell. Cannell made an analogy between shoes and buildings, “What are shoes, after all, but mini buildings for your feet?” Do you agree with that statement? After reading the article and seeing some of the shoe designs, I will never look at shoes the same way again.

Now that the economy is slow, some architects have been applying their knowledge in building design, to designing shoes. Take a quick look at “Does Architecture Have a Foot Fetish?” and tell me what you think. The first shoe design is quite classy in my opinion, but the others are too futuristic, Star Trekky for me (no offense Star Trek fans).

In another Fast Company article, “A Problem-Solver’s Guide to Copycatting” by Dan & Chip Heath (authors of the bestseller Made to Stick), they present a few case studies where executives used nature (biomimicry) to solve organizational problems that appeared unsolvable.

How can you cross pollinate our ideas for superior solutions? And how can you build a body of general information that you can merge with specific information when problem solving? Simply read up on topics that you wouldn’t usually read: biomimicry, botany, biology, zoology, astronomy, agriculture, philosophy, science and so on. And read a few magazine that you usually wouldn’t read as Futurist, Utne, Skeptical Enquirer. And make sure to take a look at what other industries have done and are doing.

Even though the grass is seldom greener on the other side, it’s worth it to take a look. Please keep this conversation going, provide comments.

Photo credit: Flickr

Further Reading

Does Architecture Have a Foot Fetish?

A Problem-Solver’s Guide to Copycatting

What did you decide?

Decision making is a step in the problem solving process and the quality of your solutions and decisions is only as good as the information they are based on.

Decision Making 101

1. Define the decision to be made
2. Collect information
3. Analyze the information
4. Develop possible solutions
5. Evaluate the quality of each solution
6. Choose a solution
7. Implement the decision
8. Test the decision (Did it do what it was supposed to do?)

From my extensive experience in research, the eight simple steps would translate into the following process, which will help you to become a better decision maker and a more valuable employee.

Anatomy of a Decision Making Process

Stage 1: Define the Decision

• State the decision to be made in your organization in clear and simple language and answer the following questions

1. How important is the decision?
2. How do decisions get made in your organization?
3. Why does the decision have to be made?
4. What is the impact of not deciding?
5. Who will be impacted by the decision, and how?
6. Who are your allies in the organization?
7. Is the decision permanent or reversible?
8. What are the desired outcomes of making the decision?
9. Is acceptance and support for the decision critical for its implementation?
10. How much time is available for making the decision?

Stage II: Gather Information

• Every decision is a response to a situation, what are the root causes of the situation?

1. Collect files, records and other relevant documents
2. Talk to stakeholders
3. Brainstorm with colleagues
4. Conduct focus group interviews
5. Look at best practices
6. How accurate is the information
7. Does it represent a diversity of points of view
8. Are there any biases

• Read all the information gathered and evaluate the quality of them

• Distil the facts pertinent to the decision to be made
• Restructure the definition of the decision if you have to
• Draw conclusions from the information gathered and identify possible solutions (Do not limit yourself to what has been done before but open yourself to new and better alternative solutions)
• Develop a set of decision criteria to judge the quality of each solution and assess its suitability

Stage III: Consider Solutions

• Use the set of decision criteria developed in Stage II to judge the quality of each solution and assess its suitability

1. State the advantages and disadvantages of each solution
2. State the costs, benefits and implication of implementing each option
3. Do not focus only on short-term costs but also look at long term benefits
4. State obstacles to each option and how they could be handled

Stage IV: Make a Decision

• Which option best serves the desired outcome stated in Stage I?
• Is the option consistent with the mission, goals and objectives of the organization
• Select the best option
• Explain your decision to those involved and impacted

Stage V: Implement the Decision

• Put the decision into action
• Does the decision feel right to you? Learn to trust your instincts

Stage VI: Test the Decision

• Did the decision resolve the situation?
• Are you comfortable with the decision?
• If no to the above, how can you rework the decision? Can you combine elements of the alternative solutions to form a hybrid solution?
• Go through the process again if you have to

Like with everything in life the more practice you get the more adept you become. By applying the process to your unique situation, in no time you will become a better decision maker. And the best part is that the process also works for your personal life.

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

Invisible Mentors are unique leaders who we can learn things from. To decide which Invisible Mentors will take you where you want to go, where do you see yourself personally and professionally in the next one to three years. Are their gaps in your skills that you have to fill?

1. Who are five unique leaders who have accomplished what you would like to accomplish? Or, who are five people who have walked the path, or are farther along the path than you?
2. Have any of these experts given important speeches and produced information products such as books, ebooks and audio programs that you could use to expand your knowledge base in the area(s) you identified above? Write down the titles of the speeches and the names of the products for easy reference later.
3. What traits or behaviours do these unique leaders have in common?
4. What is it about them that you are attracted to?
5. Do their core values and philosophies align with yours?

Observe these five unique leaders (Invisible Mentors), read their books, watch their presentations and videos, listen to any interviews they have given. Immerse yourself in everything about them so that if you are problem solving, you could ask and answer the question, “what would Invisible Mentor x do if she were in this situation?”

There are many phenomenal people who we can learn from, all we have to do is make the time to do so. What are your thoughts? What would you add?