I could write how problems are opportunities in disguise (many are).
Or, I could describe all the ways we can work together to find solutions to the problems we face.
But, I think it’s most useful to describe the five-stage problem-solving model that most of us follow in our day-to-day lives. It doesn’t matter if these problems are personal or professional…the same stages are usually in play:
1. Ignore the Problem
Ignoring a problem doesn’t mean not knowing about it. We know it’s there, but we purposely choose to ignore it. This gives us plausible deniability. There’s a lot of hope involved in ignoring a problem. Our hope is that if ignored long enough, the problem will solve itself, or someone else will take ownership and find a solution.
2. Deny the Problem
This is a bit more active than ignoring the problem. We acknowledge that something is wrong, but it isn’t really a problem. By consciously changing our perceptions, and the perceptions of those around us, we can plausibly deny (there’s that phrase again) that a problem exists. And, if it really is a problem, it’s not a problem for “us” to solve.
3. Blame Someone (Else)
When denial stops working, the focus shifts to ensuring we aren’t held responsible for the problem. We aren’t ignoring or denying the problem. But, we know we aren’t the cause, for sure. Therefore, we shouldn’t be expected to provide a solution.
The most advanced version of this stage is to not only blame someone else. But, make sure the world knows we warned everyone that this type of problem could happen…if only someone had listened to us in the first place. I call this person the omnipotent blame shifter.
4. Accept the Problem
We finally accept that this is a real problem. It’s our problem, whether we caused it or not. We own it. We also own the task of finding the best solution. This is the trickiest stage of all…
If we caused this problem, we must now admit our weakness, our mistake, our error in judgment, our previous lack of attention or understanding. We may even have to admit that something happened that was out of our control.
If we didn’t cause this problem, our challenge is to put aside blame, and focus on solving the problem. We don’t have time to teach lessons at this point. Our focus must be finding solutions to the problem we’ve just accepted.
5. Address (Fix) the Problem
Ah…we finally arrive at the solution stage. We’ve accepted the problem. It’s real. It’s ours. And, now we (and possibly a large team we’ve assembled) will fix the problem.
Ironically, this may be the easiest stage of all, even if it’s the one we’ve worked so hard to avoid. It sits patiently, waiting for us to arrive. To focus our attention, our effort and our creativity on delivering ideas and solutions to the problem.
Imagine the energy we’d have available to solve (and prevent) problems if we didn’t waste our time ignoring them, denying them, and finding others to blame.
Photo by James Pond on Unsplash
Encouragement is Personal 