We all like Mr Wolf... but why?

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

Some of what I am about to say is because I am a "fanboy" of Quentin Tarantino's work, be it his writing or his abilities as a director. This will probably have more context if you have seen Pulp Fiction but hopefully I can set up the situation sufficiently to offer a perspective as to why we all like Mr Wolf - independent of gender, race, religion or sports team affiliation.

See, Mr Wolf solves problems and not just any ol' problem... the messy ones. 

Meet Mr Wolf (again language warning)

Jules and Vincent, through a series of events find themselves with a dead body in the back of their car and unwittingly call on Jimmie at his house with their problem in tow. It turns out Jimmie's wife Bonnie comes home from the midnight shift at 9:30 am and she would "appreciate the situation none to much". After a series of phone calls pulling him away from a black tie affair which is 30 minutes away, Mr Wolf arrives ten minutes later at Jimmie's door as he is the one people call to solve their problems. This clip offers a glimpse into the brilliance that is Quentin Tarantino and Mr Wolf. (strong language warning... remember you were warned)

Up front we know that Mr Wolfs' associates with killers and thieves and it's not much of a leap to assume he's a comrade in arms - although with this said, from the moment we see him dressed in a tuxedo we know we may like him and when we hear him say "I'm Winston Wolf, I solve problems" we know we do!

It is something with those three words, what they mean and by implication that they say "if you are good at solving problems, you will end up well dressed with a fast car and a fancy watch" (an earlier scene). A problem solver can do what others cannot do - be it solving act of god problems or those of our own creation... and so we like Mr Wolf.

Mr Wolf is a clear critical thinker using hard facts, looking at the overall situation to formulate a decisive plan which in-turn he communicates clearly, with explanation and rationale on the way, to ensure buy-in and optimal execution. And contrary to what Vincent thinks, I believe Mr Wolf wraps it all up with being rather polite throughout the whole thing.

There is something subtler that also comes with Mr Wolf - he is different than any character to that point in the movie - different... be it in manner, image, language or in how he sees things leading to the way he thinks.  His off handed request for a cup of "that coffee" he smelled in the kitchen as he is inspecting the car, its contents and clarifying mechanical issues is a reflection of this (Ok I couldn't smell it but I sure didn't see it either). So is Mr Wolf different because he is a problem solver or a problem solver because he is different? - either way different is the operative word.

We are social beasts and want to belong but we are also attracted to "different and unique" as ultimately it sets one apart, and if you are Mr Wolf, it's critical for solving problems and seeing what others can not. 

Ultimately we like Mr Wolf because what he can do is different and effective problem solving is something we want to emulate - as deep down we know there is not a "Mr Wolf" for us to call.

Or maybe its simply because Mr Wolf is Harvey Keitel.

gpe

Elegant problem solving or simply a bad decision?

My last trip had me trekking through the highlands of Iceland where our group would ultimately walk almost 100 kilometres and explore the beauty of Iceland. I want to say Iceland's beauty is beyond description and if you can, see it firsthand; there are truly no words to describe it.

As I look back on my travels and a situation that warranted a MacGyver-like* solution, I wanted to share what I think was ultimately a creative and elegant solution. Keep in mind two things as we get into this story, the whole situation took about 15 minutes from problem to solution and Icelandic rivers are very, very cold... as well as fast moving and rocky.  

I should also mention that before the trip we were told there would be some "knee high river crossings" and water shoes were a required item to be packed. I have a great pair of water sandals that are designed for the wilderness, as well as a pair of sandals that where in my hockey bag (designed to keep your feet off those nasty shower floors). I was concerned that my travel bag was already too full, so in the end I went with the lighter more disposable sandals. Frankly I only had two short crossings and if I lost these sandals it was no big deal.

Let our story begin.

About seven kilometres into day two of the hike we came down an embankment to our first river  that involved crossing a small stream and then a 30 meter walk to the main river (where the crossing would take place in earnest). I put on my sandals, and with hiking boots around my neck, I began to cross the small stream. In turn, the strap separated from the sole of one of the sandals and fell from my foot as reached the other side. Recognizing quickly it was an issue with the adhesive, I hoped I could insert the strap back into place and use my weight to hold it secure. Three failed attempts left me at the rivers edge with a broken sandal and a sore foot. 

A problem had been identified, a number of attempts at denial and wishful thinking had been tried, and now I found myself with a ten minute deadline to determine a solution as we gathered around our guide who was reviewing the process of crossing. There was definitely a factor of pride that came into play as I really did not want to be the guy holding everyone up, so with the clock ticking the assessment of possible solutions began.

Cross in bare feet - The river is very rocky and slippery and could result in an injured foot or slipping into the water. Because of the nature of how we cross as a group**, I could take others "down with the ship". Overall too risky and REJECTED

Cross in my hiking boots - Solves my immediate problem but I still had to hike over 15 more kilometres; doing this in wet boots would be very uncomfortable and increase the chances of blisters and foot problems. LAST RESORT OPTION

Repair my sandal - Viable option and worth considering. My thought process was as follows:

1) I could glue it back together... this was rejected without much thought because I was lacking waterproof glue that can dry on wet surfaces in 7 minutes. 

2) Duct tape... A wonder material which I had, but not in my day pack. So close!! 

3) I could sew it back together - a viable solution as I had the material and in theory it should work. SOLUTION IDENTIFIED (An Elegant Solution?)

There you have it - With one knife, one boot lace and some fundamental sewing skills, I was able to repaired my sandal literally as we were lining up to cross the river - Viability assessment of possible solutions, solution identified, and then implemented.

After a successful river crossing I reviewed my sandal repair and determined that no changes were needed for the next crossing - Problem resolution review to identify any required changes.

My repaired sandal ultimately served me well and a couple of people even called me "MacGyver" (for my ability to think quickly and solve the problem with ordinary things around me). I felt good that I was able to think on my feet so quickly. 

But you know, if I had made the decision to bring the proper water sandals in the first place, none of this would have happen. 

In the end, a fun story as the result of a bad decision.

iamgpe

www.gpestratagem.com 

* MacGyver was a TV show out of the late 80's where the hero solved his weekly challenges with elegant solutions involving ordinary items like binder twine, bubble gum and balsa wood.

**When crossing a river as a group you line up behind each other holding onto the person in front of you to form a chain... this adds stability in the current and reduces the chances of falling

No duct tape needed...

I love Google — in .39 seconds I can get 174,000,000 results when you query "definition of problem". The first result defines a problem as a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

There you have it, a straight forward definition so let's move on to dealing with problems (and overcoming them) because that's the fun part.

Wait a moment, maybe not quite yet. 

Let's consider the so called "problem" for a moment because deep down we know that if we really don't understand it fully it will bite back, and make dealing with it a real shit show. 

Intuitively we know that complex problems are more of an issue than simple problems, but how do we define this? I mean, is the complexity of a problem defined by the problem itself, or by how easily the problem is solved? I'm not going to use any examples that involve leaking pipes and using duct tape as a viable solution because it's just a bunny hole for quality problem solving and the utility of duct tape. 

However, let's say that the light bulb burns out in your lamp, which is now a problem —  should be a simple problem to solve with a new lightbulb. But what happens if it goes out again two days later —now maybe it's a more complex problem involving a defective lamp or broader wiring issues. Determining the problem (and the broader situation surrounding the problem) is the foundation for effective problem solving, and definitely if creative thinking is needed down the road. I think it's fair (and practical) to say that simple situations tend to require simple problem assessment, and complex situations more complex problem assessment. 

With that said, why then do we hear this in business (which is very complex)?  "Revenue is down, we have a problem...we need some creative out of the box thinking!!". I've actually heard this so I will make the grand leap and say that it was not just a one off statement in the history of modern business. 

The reality is revenue being down is not the problem, just the bi-product. The problem is somewhere else, probably rather complex and nasty (with two rows of teeth). Maybe that's why we don't hear "Revenue is down, we have a problem, we need to know what we are dealing with". 

Back to my light bulb example — I bet you know of one or two people who would just keep putting a new bulb in the lamp every time it goes out (or just stop using the lamp all together) because they didn't know how to identify the problem, or worse don't really want to. 

There is a certain fearlessness that comes with facing problems — although most are straight forward and mostly inconvenient, there are some that can have great consequence. I'm currently reading a book called "The 50th Law" by 50 cent and Robert Greene that speaks about this so I'm certain I will have more thoughts on this at another time — good read so far and worth checking out.

Creative problem solving should not enter the picture until a Problem is really understood.

I didn't want to get into the detail of problem and situation analysis per se, but I most definitely want to emphasize that problems need to be assessed from both an internal and external perspective — for most of us this forces looking at situations differently and probably not in the way that we are used to. Assess problems thoroughly and differently (and bravely). 

Of course, this is easier said than done. 

iamgpe