The Single Best Way to Solve Problems!

The Rumor is That You're Great at

Solving the Wrong Problems

I’m a Great Problem Solver

Are you one of the innumerous persons that puts “problem solver” or “problem solving” on your résumé or LinkedIn account?   Or possibly in an interview - when asked what type of person you are - you proudly boast that you are a great problem solver!

I’m Great at Solving the Wrong Problems

I have to say good for you and that you are in great company. But - if you’re like most - you’re often solving the wrong problems.  You just made a better VCR or got horses to run faster.  Faster horses you say?  Henry Ford is often quoted as saying, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."  Apparently they weren't begging for a Bentley rolling on dubs.  

Don’t Listen to What People Tell You They Want!!! Or do We?!?

Some people take this as customer feedback is irrelevant or too distorted.  Who asked for Facebook?  However, what I take from this statement is you must ask the right questions.  People often will - likely because they have to - answer with something they are familiar with or that came from their own imagination.  

To solve someone’s problem you need to address his or her pains then find the problem….not solve the pains from preconceived notions or the person’s restricted knowledge base.  Often the initial solution to the pain only cures the symptom.  We all know that taking ibuprofen for a sore back does not solve the problem, but we use that mentality elsewhere.      

I’m a Great Problem Finder

So, what you need to be first is a problem finder.  You do not want to solve somebody’s problem of getting to work on time by getting them a faster horse.  Or even by building a Model T.  Give them the Internet and a computer and eliminate the problem of them even needing to go to work.

Ask Questions

How is this done?  By asking questions of course.  Be the problem finder!  What types of questions?  That is for another post, but start by asking "why" 5 times for each problem you encounter.  That will get you more information then just about any other method.


Enthusiastically scribbled by, 
Jason Riemens

Have You Found The Holy Grail?

What One Person Can Do, Another Person Can Do

Is the Easy Road For You?
Do you take the easy road or the most difficult path you can find?  I am sure you know which leads to greater rewards, but - more importantly - new research has revealed that myelin, once considered an inert form of insulation for brain cells, may be the holy grail of acquiring skill.  And this is obtained by pushing yourself every time you get the chance, but in specific ways.

If you want to learn more about the most efficient method of breaking skill barriers and taking your talent to new heights, read the book The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle.

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 

Jason Riemens

What if You Are Afraid to Speak?

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 
Jason Riemens

Do You Wake Up With an Aching to Start Your Day?

Go to Bed With a Plan, Wake Up With a Purpose

Do You Wake Up Wondering?

Do you wake up wondering what you are going to do to start your day? Or, possibly you have the hour before work planned out purposefully down to the last detail, but once you get to work - is the story a little different?  Does it take you a while to get your day started? 

Maybe Monday through Friday you have it all scheduled out, but when the weekend comes - you lie in bed pontificating on what you shall do?  And if you do lie there, you likely have a whole list of things to get done…but which one are you going to do first?  Which one is most important?  Do you have what you need at home to get you task done?

Do you get up in the morning and workout?  Do you have a plan in place for what punishment you are going to put yourself through?  Is your style to "wing it?"  Do you know what you’re going to eat?  What you are going to wear?

The Anomaly is the Anomaly

Well, maybe you are the anomaly an strategically plan out every day - days in advance - and wake up with a burning fire inside your belly knowing what you’re going to do, what you’re going to accomplish, and what goals you will meet.

But, if you are anything like the typical person, you don’t gently fall asleep at night with a mental blueprint of that is going to happen when you wake up - or at least knowing what you are going to do once breakfast and showering are taken care of. 

Me, Me, Me

As the saying goes, people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan - blah, blah, blah.  I know I have had my share of Saturday mornings where I mentally mulled over my list of “to dos,” all of which - in my muzzy morning state - seemed to rank atop my unending list.  And as shameless as it is to admit, it often seemed too overwhelming and thus 2 hours more sleep took precedent.

Time for Aesop to Talk

The moral of this parable then is - to wake with purpose and a fervent intent, with no quizzical wonder slowing your day - you must have a plan....planned.  Plan a minimum of you first activity - either that day’s priority or whatever can only be done at that time of day, like your workout or office meeting.  This not a difficult chore nor an imposition, but it does take mental fortitude to do it - like taking out the trash.  It’s quick and necessary to  keep your allegorical house in order. 

It may only 5 minutes, but will instrumentally improve your livelihood, because when you go to bed with a plan, you wake up with a purpose.    

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 

Jason Riemens

This Post is Mysterious

You Will Only Ever Have Today

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 

Jason Riemens

What Problem Does That Solve?

The Second Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

In an earlier post  from this BLOG I wrote that I ask myself three questions when faced with an decision having alternative choices.  In that post, I zealously detailed the first question, which was “What would I do if I was not afraid?”  And in this post I will make a grand attempt to explain the second question.

The Second Question…

The second question is one that I regrettably failed to ask myself for much of my life.  I would make a choice based on notions such as, what seemed to be the most fun, what seemed the coolest thing to do, what was trendy, what others were doing, or what was the easiest.

Paradoxically, the result was often a spectacular success…by somebody else’s standards.  As can be seen in the right column of this BLOG under My Life Philosophy, I state that success is “accomplishing your goals.”  The “your” in that statement is the key, the secret, the epiphany.  Your goals.  Your needs.  Your problem.  

Thereby, the second question I ask myself when making a decision is “What problem does that solve?”    

Why Ask What?

As difficult as it is to concede, there is a major error in many of our decision making processes.  We rarely - on a conscious level - ask if the chosen solution solves our problem. Or to put it differently, will the outcome actually be meaningful or benefit us in any way.  And for those getting your unmentionables all twisted right now, I am not advocating anyone to think egocentrically here.   The problem this solves could very well be for a friend, for your employer, or for your customer.  After all, solving someone else’s problem is solving yours in much the same way as us doing altruistic actions for others brings us more pleasure than the recipient.

Consequently, if no goal is accomplished, no need satisfied, no problem solved, and accordingly there is no meaningful outcome - then your action was in futility and should not have been taken.

Example: I am a fitness fanatic, which really means I love the exercising, but really have no convictions as to precisely what I do.  I just love the feeling, the atmosphere, and the camaraderie that goes along with being a fitness enthusiast.

Thusly, I will be doing my normal routine and see someone doing an unconventional exercise or new machine and think to myself that I should do that.  Most recently, there was a trainer at my gym doing some cross fit type routine (a comprehensive overall cardio, agility, and weight lifting routine) and I was quite intrigued.  I thought that what he was doing was really neat and looked both fun and difficult.  It seemed to be a workout with “real world” applications.  

I wanted to try it, so I talked to him, and he said I could train with him the following Monday.   I was super excited, but was immediately figuring out in my head when I was going to fit in my normal training regimen for that day. 

It was then that I had the epiphany that the cross fit workout seemed cool and exciting but, unless I was on the savannah running from lions, or if I was getting ready for an MMA fight, or if I was training for an event that combined cardio fitness with strength and agility, it really served no purpose for me.  In other words, it did not solve my problem of maximizing my strength and muscle, minimizing my body fat, and being in running shape.  Hard weight training solved my size and strength problem and running on the treadmill solved my body fat and running problems.  The cross fit training would get me in great overall shape, but would not have solved my specific problems or addressed my self-imposed goals.  It was the metaphoric shiny new toy for me to play with. 

Assessment

If your action does not solve a problem or help you attain a goal you have set, then it was likely not the right action to take and you should have chosen a different action among your choices or you should have given yourself a different set of actions to choose from for a different goal.  You don't have a set of goals?  Well then, that is for another post.   

So, when facing a situation, opportunity, dilemma, problem, or realistically any choice I ask:

1) What would I do if I was not afraid?

2) What problem does that solve?

3) …..for a later post.

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 
Jason Riemens

Do All That You Can, The Best That You Can

Can You Give a 110%?

If 110% Then Why Not 1100%?
When is comes to effort, there is only 100% of what you are capable of at that moment - or less.  If you do all that you can, the best that you can - you will be far ahead of the majority of people out there. 

You will have success and the incredible satisfaction that is brought about by knowing you - left it all on the field, the mat, the court, the shop floor, the boardroom, or wherever you have decided to make a difference.

Inference:
Do all that you can, the best that you can.  That is all you can ask of a person.


So.....go out there and do your best.  You have nothing to lose but the world to gain.

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 
Jason Riemens

Input or Outcome? What Matters to You?

Everything Is Easy With a Little Hard Work

I Must be Kidding Right?

Is this a play on an oxymoron or possibly a playful idiom?  Maybe it’s an attempt at starting a new colloquialism.

Well, maybe, but what I am attempting to say - is that if you want something to be easy, then work hard.  We want things to be as easy as possible - right?  Then why I am saying we must work hard for things to be easy?  Maybe I should elucidate with some examples.

• If you want a test to be easy, then study hard.
• If you want to win your athletic event, then train hard.
• If you want to speak easily in front of people and with enthusiasm, then practice hard. 

So...What Do I Mean?
Therefore, what this all means is: If you want your desired outcome to come easily then the input must be done with a concerted effort.  

Making Sense of This

Why does this make sense?  Why put in the effort at the beginning, or during the contribution phase?  Because this is where you have significantly more control.  You often can plan the means to a desired outcome the way you want, around your schedule, and in a timeframe you desire. 

Why Does This Matter?
Too often people wait until the event, the test, or the actual end of the planning period to start making an effort.  Then these same people complain that something is hard, resulting in them giving up, an inferior outcome, or even possibly preventing others from even attempting to do well. 

Even for the brightest and most talented, failure will be the outcome without the initial effort.  And, the phrase so often heard, "I'll do whatever it takes," when referring to achieving the desired goal is empirical evidence that the outcome is what really matters.

Example: Let’s say you want to get into medical school and need to take the MCAT.  You can likely designate the number of weeks you will study, the number of hours per day to study, and even pick the study tool. 

However, the exam is standardized, the amount of time you are allotted to take the test is fixed, and the testing location has limited options and availability.  Thusly, if you work hard the weeks before, then you can make the test easy - or at least easier.  You will not have any method to make the test easier without the initial hard work (i.e., longer testing time, simpler questions, more comfortable testing surroundings).  

Conclusion

Thereby, the conclusion is that every desired outcome can be attained with far more ease if you put in the initial hard work beforehand.

    

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 

Jason Riemens

Do You Fight Fire With Fire?

How Do You Fight an Evil?

 

Choose Your Evil

Well, that depends on the evil!  All that can be stated with certainty, is that you if fight the evil by adopting it an practicing it, you just doubled the evil you were trying to get rid of.  Or, you may have more than doubled it if you also eliminated the goodness from your heart that was overcome by the evil. 

Better Than What?

Be the better person.  Find a better solution.  Live the better life.  Better than what?  Better than the evil?  No….better than before the evil…..because you learned from the situation.   

     

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 

Jason Riemens

Vampire Bites Last a Lifetime

Have Something Good to … Write

Vampire Bites Last a Lifetime

In a previous post, I discussed Have Something to Good to Say. But, as I also alluded to, words disappear from memory quite expediently, while emotions stay.  However, this is not the case when you write a letter (yes…with ink), type an email, send a text, or post on a social networking site.  The words are immortalized like they were bitten in a dark alley by a nefarious vampire intent on dooming the words an eternal life.  And so they are…..but maybe dooming you instead.

But, in a sense, I digress.  I am not scribing this post trying to make you an Internet goody goody.

What I am offering is this - whatever your message, you can evoke a positive sentiment by first starting with a brief nicety and finishing with an appreciative salutation.

My Personal Practice

In most of my emails, I start off with a one sentence paragraph that includes a statement that expectantly allows the reader to have a positive attitude toward me.  As one who truly believes that what we tell ourselves - or is told to us - guides us to that belief, I  basically tell the reader to feel good (without saying those words).  I don’t ask a question that could have a negative response or lead to a potentially undesirable thought process.

Opening Example: Often I write something like: “I trust that you had an amazing weekend.”  “Happy Wednesday!” Or, if I know something good has happened to them or they did anything for me I might write: “I understand you really made an impact this week!” “Your presentation was insightful.  I know you are busy and I appreciate your time.”  But, most often there will not be a specific reason for gratitude, so just begin in a friendly way and then start your message.

Closing Example: And then I finish with something small like: “Much appreciation.”  “Much gratitude.” "Thank you for your time and effort.”

Universal-ish Law

Everybody likes to be appreciated and to be made to feel important.  A few of the right words go a long way - especially if you’re the person who is known to frequently show gratitude and be encouraging - whilst others are not.

Alternative Message: Give me toys now Santa!  I am a kid and you owe me for being semi-good.

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 

Jason Riemens

New Year Resolution

I can honestly tell the person in the mirror that I believe in him 100%. 
And that makes all of the difference between success and failure.

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 
Jason Riemens