In search of creative problem solving... a case study.

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

The topic of meetings came up the other day, as well as the love-hate relationship we have with them. When managed well they are a great forum for transferring information, leveraging the power of a group and driving the implementation of initiatives; when they are not, they are a desert of great despair and frustration. One of the greater challenges is time management, particularly if you are dealing with a number of meetings back, to back, to back, to back... for me, meetings start on time and are managed to an agenda. With that said, let me set the stage.

There was a time when I was the lead for a training program that involved the hiring, training and strategic deployment of entry level sales professionals into the field; high potential people with little or no experience in the business world. Most, if not all, were Millennials*: well educated, technologically savvy, strong sense of self worth, work-life balance expectations and full of an infectious energy. On day two of a particular training program, it was time for lunch and I make it clear that we start the meeting back up at 1:00 "sharp"... stressing the importance that everyone be back on time. After the room empties, I mention to a colleague that I will not be surprised if some of them are late. He smiles and I do not.

I want to pause for a moment to offer some thoughts on "problems". Problems and challenges come with all situations and we regularly identify what problems may lie ahead; we then tend to stack rank these problems so we can deal with the most important ones first. The thing about problems though, is they tend to be connected to other potential problems that can actually have more impact. Now circling back to my little drama, the "face value" issue with being late for lunch was a small problem as the agenda gets pushed back by 15 minutes. However, there was a much bigger problem lurking if it is not dealt with - A slippery slope would be created that would lead to compromising the authority structure, erode credibility, and ultimately devalue the core foundations being taught to ensure success. It would end up being a long four months for sure.

• Identify actual and potential problems that you are going to have to deal with.
• Remember perceived smaller problems can lead to larger problems if not dealt with appropriately
• Stack rank these problems so you can deal with them in the most efficient manner
• Remember problems have a mind of their own, so sometimes they never appear and sometimes they leave you little time to deal with them.

My watch says 12:50 and some people are back in the room; by 1:00, only half of the class is back. I had been mentally working on a number of solutions to my small, but potentially, big fat problem, and landed on this one. I simply said to the people in the room, "Well it looks like we have to wait for the others and I'm wondering, do you think their time is more valuable than your time?" Loaded questions are so much fun, as the answer I got back was "no" - And rightfully so!

As we waited, and as people filtered in, I deliberately asked them to stay standing. It was here that I was struck with a little bit of creativity to ensured my problem went away. I waited for all but one of the stragglers to arrive and I started discussing quietly the value and importance of people's time and waited. As the last last person entered the back of the room I very dramatically put up my hand and said " STOP RIGHT THERE! IS YOUR TIME MORE VALUABLE THAN THEIR TIME!" (accompanied by the appropriate hand gestures). To that he answered quietly, "No sir". I then emphatically reviewed the value of respecting people, time, and what we are doing. I let them all sit down and at 1:15 started up again. It was 15 minutes well spent in my mind.

• More often of not, there are a number of solutions to a problem; work with the one you believe will be the most effective.
• In my experience creativity does come with a "flash like" entrance. Go with it when it does.
• Deal with a problem. Don't avoid it. It will not go away and will just become bigger and more complicated.

If you are wondering, no one was ever late again and I had solved my little problem. But you know, there will always be another, and so there should... this is how we learn, grow and thrive. Now let me tell you about the time someone thought it was a good idea to bounce a basketball outside my office door...

gpe

* Millennials, also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s (Wikapedia). I have spend many years hiring, training, coaching and working with Millennials. They are great fun and have taught me so much ! 

In search of creative problem solving - part one

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

Have you ever been walking in the woods with someone and they look up and say, "Hey look... a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker".

You then look up and say, "Um, no... Can't see it".

They then come back to you with, "See where I'm pointing, just above that broken branch".

This is what a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker looks like

You then look a little more intently and say, "Nope, still can't see it".

Then, in a slightly frustrated voice they say, " You see the broken branch, right?"

You say, "Yes". You look a little harder.

They then say, "Ok, to the left and up slightly. See it?"

You reply," Still can't see it"

"Let's move over here", they suggest, and you do.

They then suggest you look up the trunk of the tree about twenty feet and then at the third branch; you shift your gaze about three feet and there it is, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

"Oh now I see it", you say with a bit of relief in your voice,  just as it flies away. (See picture if you missed it)

Creative problem solving, as well as situation analysis can be analogous to that search for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It's all about being able to see the situation and/or the solution.

Let me take a short detour for a moment, but not to worry, we will meander back to the topic at hand. A while ago I wrote a post called "The Lemonade Stand... a way of thinking" (December 10, 2014) offering some thoughts on various frameworks for thinking, such as the 7S Model and The 4 P Marketing Model. Shortly after I posted it, Dave, an associate of mine, asked me "how can you think creatively if you are using  business models that were developed in the last century?" It was a very good question; one that I think the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has started to shed some light on - See, I told you I would bring it back.

 I believe these frameworks are proving the test of time as tools for thinking, particularly in a business setting; where the secret to "creative problem solving" lies is with how you look at the various components of the framework - "How you see". As an example... with "The Lemonade Stand Model", the broadest of the frameworks, we know that the customer is something of great importance. We look at the customer, spend time understanding them, determine ways to know them and ways to see them. We try to put ourselves into a position where we can say, "Oh, now I see it". It's all about how you see within the framework - "Seeing it" leads to understanding and creative solutions.

So now the obvious question is how do you see something that you can't quite see at the moment? Well, like that person in the woods you get someone to help you (either literally of figuratively). Some thoughts come to mind...

• Put yourself in circumstances where you are outside "your bubble"* - Do something you don't know how to do, meet people you would never meet and literally go see things you normally don't see. This is why I will never travel to an all-inclusive resort again.
• Read biographies, history and comic books. 
• Search out experts in fields and disciplines that you have no interest in or would never have thought of. I personally like Chase Jarvis Live as he has guests I would never have exposure to or gain insight from. I have attached an interview with Jasmine Star a famous wedding photographer. Chase Jarvis Live is long format, which means it's lengthy and informative in a way that isn't "sound bites" or simplistic overviews. Sometimes seeing takes a little time.
• Befriend people who don't think like you, live like you or vote the same way as you do.

As you can see from the title, this is something I am exploring and will continue to explore "in as many parts as it takes".

Let me know what you think, so I may see a little better.

Thanks,

gpe

* "Your bubble" in this context refers to your life... the more protected, controlled or isolated it is, the smaller your bubble. 

Why we should stand on desks more often - Literally

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

A while back I was in a meeting where the discussion revolved around our need to change our current situation to a future state that we all agreed was needed - Somewhere in all of this banter, I say something along these lines, "Evolution will get us there but it will take time where with a revolution we will get there much faster, but it tends to be bloodier".

 I of course thought it was particularly profound. Now let me say right up front we are talking business here so people very rarely get bloody and die (this is an important point) and as an aside (apologizing for my diatribe up front), we as business people like to draw from the military for strategic framework, aspects of leadership, transferable tactics and particularly language. Here is a very important point... in business, although it may sometimes have a vague feel of what war is all about, no one dies, I shall repeat again, no one dies. If you "take a bullet", in the broad sense of things you get "a do over". War, not so much.

So back to my profound statement (with a working assumption that you agree with me*), we find ourselves always existing in three states, some more preferable than others - The status quo, evolution or revolution. I will eventually get to the desk... so not to worry.

Let me quickly speak to the state of status quo first; briefly, only briefly... other than an opportunity to catch your breath (mostly in a figurative sense), the status quo offers you nothing long term... the world, and everything about it will change around you and you will become irrelevant** - I do not recommend it as the world will pass you by.

Revolution will drive dramatic change, through a spectrum from great to awful, as well as the opportunity associated with it. Here is the thing though, like war, it can take on a life of it's own, it's uncontrollable, noisy and many times random with what it offers. Sometimes it is necessary but hold on tight...very tight. As an aside this is where control is validated as an "illusion".

So now to evolution, and being that I left it to the last it's a fair assumption that it is something that I want to spend some time on... offering a thought or two. Up front I will say I'm a fan of Darwin and his theories of adapting and evolving to an ever changing environment - We need to evolve to thrive. A point though, it needs to move much faster than it historically has to prevent any slide into the status quo or creating a situation that brings on the need for revolution, be it in business or even socially. Why is that you may ask? The world is moving much faster, be it technology advances, communication or general globalization (that makes this big world a much smaller place) that creates a necessity to speed up evolution just to keep up with the environment.

And finally we get to the desk - Sorry about meandering... well not really that much. In the movie Dead Poets Society there is a scene where the teacher (Robin Williams) jumps up on his desk to make a point... I have attached the video, as it is my favorite scene in this great coming of age movie.

The video clip is packed with a number of messages but for me, in the context of what we are talking about, when he stands on his desk and asks "why", he offers hints as to how to speed up the evolution. The answer is of course, "to look at things differently and get a new perspective", as the acceleration comes through actively looking to evolve and not passively letting it happen over time.

Two other points resonate with me. When John Keating says, "if you know something, look at it a different way", it reminds us to keep challenging what we know as we just might start seeing a different and even better way. I also like when he tells a student not to walk off the edge of the table so fast like a lemming but look around - A reminder that thinking and doing things differently is not an occasional effort but should be a habitual way.

I find Keating actually getting up on the desk the most powerful in all of this, as it is the action in changing his perspective. He didn't talk about getting up on the desk, he got up on it, no talk... just "up". And this is how art in this case can challenge us... Asking what exactly are we doing to see things differently and speed up our evolution?

Thank you for reading. 

gpe

* Let me know if you don't

**Irrelevant is such a harsh word that means not connected with or relevant to something, but is what happens when you stand still as everything moves on. It's a great business word.