Why I threw away my seven-step, sure-fire, principle-based problem solving methodology in favor of watching my son learning to stand up.
Most people believe that their problems are unique to them. Many people believe problems are not a good thing to have. Some people make a living solving other people’s problems. And then there’s me: my problem is that I see problems like mosquitoes hovering around me in the woods and frankly they just bug me. I want to know the nature of problems—and, more importantly, how to get rid of them.
This is what I know so far:
- Problems are, by nature, problematic. Collectively, we have environmental, political, economic, and social problems. Individually, we have health, emotional, mental, social and spiritual problems. All problems can be frightening, challenging and controversial.
- Problems are persistent. They keep coming back if not solved properly.
- Problems are timeless and universal. Everyone who has every lived, everyone who is living now and everyone who will live in the future has and will have essentially similar problems.
- Problems are paradoxical and hierarchical. We have global problems and we have local problems. These problems can be simple or complex. Whether global or local, simple or complex, some problems are more important at different times in different places.
- Problems are common and ordinary. Everyone has problems and everyone solves problems in their own way. We are addicted to problems. We love to talk about our problems and we especially love to solve the problems of others! Problems are rationalizations and justifications for just about anything that happens in this world. We fill our newspapers and TV’s with them. Books and movies are built around them. Yet problems also are the very essence of human progress and individual growth.
Studying problem-solving doesn’t help
With this profound clarity about the nature of problems, I have come to this staggering self-evident conclusion: If you live, then you will have problems. Problems are requisite to life as we know it. Yet even if we know that problems are problematic, timeless, universal, paradoxical, hierarchical, common and ordinary, we still haven’t determined how to solve them.
So, I embarked on a study of everyday problem solving. I watched my neighbors solve problems. I talked to business people about their problems. I listened to politicians talking about problems on TV and in newspapers. I read books about famous problem solvers and I researched problem-solving on the Internet.
I came away more confused than ever.
Finally, I concluded that the world needed a new problem-solving methodology that was simple and easy. Based on my research into the principles of integrity, I created a seven-step, sure-fire, principle-based problem solving methodology.
That went out the window when I watched my ten-month old son solve the basic problem of standing. I couldn’t teach him the seven step approach— and besides, he seemed to be doing fine all by himself.
The built-in method
That son of mine cannot hold a conversation in any language and is just now grappling with the notion of “no”. He barely understands the notion of balance, let alone the laws of physics required to stand up.
Yet he was solving the problem of standing naturally. It was as if some internal compass pointed to the problem and the internal physical and mental systems required to complete the job kick-started all by themselves. Without even knowing what he expected to accomplish, he began the process of overcoming his present limitations.
He was solving the problem spontaneously and creatively as well. Every time he got the opportunity, he leveraged himself up in any way he could, using any possible physical object within reach. He was unrelenting in his pursuit. Every day in every way he was practicing and learning.
He also had a good attitude for problem solving. He was undeterred by success or failure. If he fell down, he got up. If he got up, he tried to walk. He was not looking for approval. He was not competing with anyone or for anything. He didn’t care about his ten-month-old friend who could already walk.
Problem-solving via wholeness
Integrity is defined as wholeness, consistency and objectivity. In simple words, it is doing the right thing, doing the next right thing and doing things right.
Wholeness is the state of completeness. The problem of not being able to stand was overcome in order that he could become complete a standing in order to solve the problem of walking. Becoming complete is a natural process that begins with conception.and includes a built-in compass that identifies and engages problems. Problem solving becomes a natural process that stimulates the journey to completion.
Consistency is the state of holding things together in time and space. Following the natural inclination to overcome the problem of standing, a baby is disciplined and relentless in its use of time, and incredibly creative in using everything in the immediate world to complete the task.
Objectivity is the ability to deal with the features and characteristics of the problem, not the thoughts about the problem. Babies are pure in their approach. They don’t think about the problem the way we do. They just work on it and learn from it. Nor does a baby measure success or failure the way we measure it. They are not looking for fame, fortune or power. They solve problems without competition and stress.
What does this mean for you and me?
Integrity based problem solving simply means getting back to these basics:
- Problem-solving is a natural and essential process that we are well equipped to do even if we have forgotten how. And problems never go away even if we want them to. So we better get good at it!
- You have everything you need right in front of you to solve problems. You have all time you need and more than enough resources. Even if you are not good at one type of problem, you can always hire someone who is.
- Problem-solving will teach you purity of thought and objectivity in action. Aren’t these goals enough of reason to engage any problem?
The next time you have a problem, try the integrity-based approach. Do the right thing, do the next right thing and do things right.
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October 8th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Problems are always opportunities for creativity.We should always look for out of box solutions for overwhelming the problem and not for its solution as a solution will bring us back to the earlier point whereas we can always look for opportunities to create a new equilibrium at a higher level. That’s where creativity comes to play. Mostly we get disturbed by the prospect of loss when we face the problems and miss out the opportunity. If we can keep to our integrity and basics and look to overpower it without getting diverted by the prospects of incidental loss or gain, it is possible to convert it to an opportunity. It is in us. I agree that there is an inexhaustible resource base naturally embedded in everybody which needs to be explored at times of crisis.In fact all the human inventions came from it.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:00 am
> And then there’s me: my problem is that
> I see problems like mosquitoes hovering
> around me in the woods and frankly they
> just bug me.
You are not alone this this view.
It is important to watch children (my son is at the moment also about to stand up and getting better each day) to remind to the more primary, more important things and to remind to the keep it simple principle.
However, I do not think that everything (every problem) can be put into the same pot. Your child is now focusing on standing up and walking because this is one of the first skills to be learned for getting along in this world. Everything else is less important now. Financial crisis is not important for him - but why? Because you are looking after those things. It is YOUR job to pay for house, clothes and food! And naturally you are facing more issues.
While growing up there will also be more challenges for him - which job to choose, finding friends and a nice partner, how to invest best, …
When facing a lot of problems we may overcomplicate things somehow sometimes and then we can remind to simplicity and unclutter.
I don’t think that your older plans how to solve problems are completely obsolete. Maybe just some review and uncluttering needed.
October 16th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I believe that your 10 month old possesses a better chance of solving our current economic and social problems than those in power. Let’s lower the age requirement for President.
One of the items I find interesting about children is that they must be “taught” consequences. Given a choice at very early ages, they will lie about taking the cookie, stealing the gum, hitting their sibling, etc.. Children must be taught morality and why it’s so important to social mores.
Obviously, our politicians and bank leaders didn’t learn much about consequences during their early stages of development. When we need to have a truth meter for Presidential debates we’re all doomed.
I’m writing in your 10 month old for President, I hope your child wins.
October 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Sambit, Martin and Scott
Thank you for your comments. You each have made an important addition to this line of thinking.
Sambit, you have noted that problems are directly connected to the inexhaustible source of creativity while Martin you have noted that problems are situational and require a requisite simplicity.
Scott, you hearken to the same source as I do -to see things through the eyes of a child.
I often wonder what children see (inexhaustible creativity, simplicity)
I wonder if they have a built in conscience about right and wrong that we merely reinforce or whether we teach them.I wonder if they see the same solutions we see or are simply mystified why what they see is different that what we see.
My child spilled an entire package of cookies on the floor As he looked at the mess (chaos, complexity) he created and then at me, I saw that he knew immediately that something was not “right” and he was looking to me to see whether he should laugh or cry.
Perhaps children have a built in compass to order the world and we merely reinforce it -perhaps not!!
Thank you
Respectfully
Doug