sadeewhip

I’m always perplexed by the love of problem-solving.

I admit, it’s addicting in a way. I mean, who doesn’t love coming up with a solution to a problem? But from girlfriend advice to team dynamics we seem stuck on just one approach.

Problem solving is something that is usually built on the thing that came before it - a solution is simply a transformed reiteration of a pre-existing condition. In other words, we often take the problem and it’s existing limitations and assumptions and try to re-work them into a more agreeable result.

I work with the CEO of a company here in Seattle who is visionary and passionate, plus, he’s a great guy. So during a strategic visioning session one day he surprised me by

a) stating a problem

+

b) indicating there wasn’t a viable solution

I expected a visionary to take a more creative approach. But I’m grateful he didn’t because the fact that this man didn’t take a more creative, productive approach really illuminated for me how endemic this kind of thinking is.

When approaching a problem most people don’t ever question the assumptions they bring to the equation. Additionally, most people assume that the way they are thinking is the best way to think for the given situation. 

I think that real creative thinking is cultivating the habit of questioning one’s assumptions about the situation and also cultivating different ways to think. Note to self: write a blog just on different ways of thinking.

If you have a problem, instead of asking “Can this be solved?” why not ask:

“What future do I want to create?” The problem won’t be all that relevant except to serve as a guide for what you don’t want. You can, instead, focus your energies on creating something new.

Problem solving can be creative but it comes with it’s own limitations. Inventing a new future has no limitations* because there are no pre-defined terms like one finds in a problem. When we approach problems creatively we begin to play with the “rules.” Like - “What if I just asked our client directly instead of guessing?” (Replace client with “spouse” “friend” etc.) The question might look like this “What could I have done differently to gain your trust? Why is that?”

Experiment:

Take one problem and ask “What outcome do I want?”

Then ask “Why?”

Then ask “What new thing might I create that will also address the ‘why’?”

Two of my favorite questions in the creation process:

How can it be easy?

How can it be fun?

* Assuming, of course, you are still living in reality. I don’t mean “no limitations” as in “You can levitate to Mars if you think creatively!”