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In the book Cradles of Eminence, the authors explored the backgrounds of more than 400 successful people. They found that many of these noted people in American history that three-fourths of them came from poverty,broken homes, and difficult parents. They also noted that 75 of 80 writers and 16 of 20 poets watched traumatic psychological drama play out in the home. More than one-fourth of this group suffered from physical handicaps such as blindness, deafness and various other handicaps.

Why were these individuals able to overcome their circumstances while others are overwhelmed? Answer: They did not see their problems as stumbling blocks, but saw them as stepping stones. Albert Einstein stated that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. Author Karl Popper states the best leaders are the best problem solvers.

Let’s examine 8 insights on problem solving.

Recognize a potential problem before it becomes a real problem – Good leaders position themselves and their team for success. What potential problems do you see? What is your game plan? 

Get a clear picture of the problem – Assumptions is the mother of all mess ups. The best place to begin is with a crystal clear understanding of the problem. Moving from vague generalities to concrete understanding is key to effective problem solving.

Ask questions to help you solve problems – Who knows the most about this problem? Who knows what I need to know? Who wants to tackle this problem? Who needs to buy in and how long will this take? Have we earned enough trust to make these necessary changes? What questions do I need to ask myself?

Create a framework to examine problems and solutions – According to John Maxwell there are 6 critical areas to consider:

• Leadership: How does this problem affect our people? 

• Personnel: Do we have the right people to help us with this problem? 

• Timing: Is this the right time for a solution, and do we have enough time for it? • Vision: How does this problem affect where we’re trying to go? 

• Priorities: Are my problems taking me or the team away from our priorities? 

• Values: Are my values or my team’s being compromised by this problem?Value shared problem solving – The best problem solvers do not work alone. They will use the 10/80/10 method. 10% is the leaders ideas followed by 80% of the team working through solutions that concludes with the leaders last 10% input. Be aware of organizational silos – remove them to stop office politics. The greater good is everyone’s concern.

Always come up with more than one solution – Pursue multiple solutions; explore all opportunities; Embrace ambiguity; Celebrate the creative; Connect the unconnected; Don’t fear failing.

Cultivate a bias for action – Doing nothing is not an option. Your primary question is not Can I? Rather it is How can I?

Actively look for opportunities and lessons in every problem – Problems will force new solutions. It will force you to look in different areas of life for solutions. Said another way Develop the problem solver within you. Get outside of your comfort zone while staying connected to your passion zone.

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!