Problem Solving

     When we stop and think about it there are MANY situations in our lives that require the technique of problem solving.  It seems that the “principles” involved in this skill are usually applied to business solutions but they can also be very useful in everyday situations.  We all know that regardless of the situation, business or personal, problems come in all sizes, from the very small to the extremely large.  However, the solutions to these problems can usually be found in the application of problem solving principles.

     But what is problem solving?  Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue.

     The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything they can about the issue and then using factual knowledge to come up with a solution.  In other instances, creativity and insight are the best options.

      People tend to do three things when faced with a problem: they get afraid or uncomfortable and wish it would go away; they feel that they have to come up with an answer and it has to be the right answer; and they look for someone to blame. Being faced with a problem becomes a problem. And that's a problem because, in fact, there are always going to be problems!

    There are two reasons why we tend to see a problem as a problem: it has to be solved and we're not sure how to find the best solution, and there will probably be conflicts about what the best solution is. Most of us tend to be "conflict-averse". We don't feel comfortable dealing with conflict and we tend to have the feeling that something bad is going to happen. The goal of a good problem-solving process is to make us and our organization more "conflict-friendly" and "conflict-competent".

     While this cycle is portrayed sequentially, people rarely follow a rigid series of steps to find a solution. Instead, we often skip steps or even go back through steps multiple times until the desired solution is reached.

1. Identifying the Problem: While it may seem like an obvious step, identifying the problem is not always as simple as it sounds. In some cases, people might mistakenly identify the wrong source of a problem, which will make attempts to solve it inefficient or even useless.

2. Defining the Problem: After the problem has been identified, it is important to fully define the problem so that it can be solved.

3.       Forming a Strategy: The next step is to develop a strategy to solve the problem. The approach used will vary depending upon the situation and the individual's unique preferences.

4. Organizing Information: Before coming up with a solution, we need to first organize the available information. What do we know about the problem? What do we not know? The more information that is available, the better prepared we will be to come up with an accurate solution.

5.       Allocating Resources: Of course, we don't always have unlimited money, time, and other resources to solve a problem. Before you begin to solve a problem, you need to determine how high priority it is. If it is an important problem, it is probably worth allocating more resources to solving it. If, however, it is a fairly unimportant problem, then you do not want to spend too much of your available resources into coming up with a solution.

6. Monitoring Progress: Effective problem-solvers tend to monitor their progress as they work towards a solution. If they are not making good progress toward reaching their goal, they will reevaluate their approach or look for new strategies.

7. Evaluating the Results: After a solution has been reached, it is important to evaluate the results to determine if it is the best possible solution to the problem. This evaluation might be immediate, such as checking the results of a math problem to ensure the answer is correct, or it can be delayed, such as evaluating the success of a therapy program after several months of treatment.

     This process can be used in a large group, between two people, or by one person who is faced with a difficult decision. The more difficult and important the problem, the more helpful and necessary it is to use a disciplined process. If you're just trying to decide where to go out for lunch, you probably don't need to go through these steps!

     Effective problem solving does take some time and attention more of the latter than the former. But less time and attention than is required by a problem not well solved. What it really takes is a willingness to slow down. A problem is like a curve in the road. Take it right and you'll find yourself in good shape for the straightaway that follows. Take it too fast and you may not be in as good shape.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If ONE - TWO - THREE strikes you're OUT!

Swing Better"

"Q"

     Maybe you’re like I am:  I have been playing the word game Scrabble since I was a young person.  Today with all the available electronic devices the game is still extremely popular and you can get it in many various game forms.  I currently have a game on my phone called “Word WOW Big City.”  In this game you CANNOT use TWO letter words and you are limited to the number of THREE letter words you can use on each level that you play.  Like most games it’s very addictive and you can almost run your battery down before you know it.  I like the word games because they keep your mind active and sharp.  But with this game as was the case when I played Scrabble so many years ago, you reach a point where you may be unable to create words because of the letters you have remaining on your board.  Especially is this true if you get that horrific letter “Q”.  Now combine your sinking heart feeling with the fact that you may usually get that “Q” letter WITHOUT the letter “U” which means you become very limited in the words that can be created.

     So I began to wonder: What words can you possibly create with the “Q” letter if you DON’T have the accompanying letter “U”?  After doing a little research I was amazed at the words that are available.  I’m going to list a few of them here along with their meanings.  As you read this blog you have my permission to pronounce these words as you see fit.  Maybe with some of your own research you can appreciate these words a little better and be able to use them in your own word games (or in everyday life)!

     These words are legal according to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition.  They may not be legal if you use a different dictionary. The word list used in tournament games in the United States is known as the Official Tournament and Club Word List, created by the National Scrabble Association.  So make sure you set the “ground” rules whenever you are playing against another person BEFORE you decide to use one of the words below.

FAQIR (Muslim or Hindu monk)
FAQIRS (plural of FAQIR)
MBAQANGA (a style of South African music)
MBAQANGAS (plural of MBAQANGA)
QABALA (occult or secret doctrine, variation of CABALA)
QABALAH (variation of CABALA, QABALA)
QABALAS (plural of QABALA)
QABALAHS (plural of QABALAH)
QADI (Islamic judge)
QADIS (plural of QADI)
QAID (a Muslim tribal chief or senior official)
QAIDS (plural of QAID)
QANAT (gently sloping underground tunnel for irrigation)
QANATS (plural of QANAT)
QAT (leaf of the shrub Catha edulis)
QATS (plural of QAT)
QI (a circulating life energy in Chinese philosophy)
QIS (plural of QI)
QINDAR (Albanian currency, variation of QINTAR)
QINDARKA (plural of QINDAR)
QINDARS (plural of QINDAR)
QINTAR (Albanian currency)
QINTARS (plural of QINTAR)
QIVIUT (musk-ox wool)
QIVIUTS (plural of QIVIUT)
QOPH (19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)
QOPHS (plural of QOPH)
QWERTY (the traditional configuration of computer keyboard keys)
QWERTYS (plural of QWERTY)
SHEQALIM (plural of SHEQEL)
SHEQEL (any of several ancient units of weight)
TRANQ (sedative)
TRANQS (plural of TRANQ)
UMIAQ (type of Eskimo boat)
UMIAQS (plural of UMIAQ)

     Unbelievable list is it not?  You may want to keep the list handy when you are playing word games.  Or you may want to invest in the purchase of an OFFICIAL Scrabble dictionary.  I think after trying to go through this word list you may be like me and want to consider a TRANQ (sedative).  I’m going to need something to calm me down so I can sleep.  As a matter of fact I think I feel an afternoon nap coming on right now.  See you next post.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If life is dealing you a rotten hand ---

change decks!  Or maybe get a new dealer?"

WHAT Went Wrong?

     Sometimes it’s very difficult to sit and think about ALL the things going on in the world today and how things might be different.  I’ve often wondered when we want things to be different so badly, why have things continued to be so as they are.  So I thought I’d take a few moments and analyze things from the beginning.  I can’t speak for all of you who may read this blog, but I am a very spiritual man.  So it is only understandable I’d use the history from the Bible to give consideration to my examination of the “History of Man.”

     “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth!” I think we’ve all heard or considered that thought from Genesis 1:1.  However, for many from that point forward things get a little bit fuzzy.  It goes on to describe how God made all the things that we see around us today: the light, the darkness, vegetation, dry ground, all the oceans and seas, the fish in them, the animals walking upon the land, and then came His crowning creation of mankind, as stated in Genesis 1:26.  This is the man who we have come to know as Adam and his wife, Eve.  Verse 15 of Chapter 2 tells us that God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and to take care of it.  In the very next verses (16 and 17) God lays the only restriction that was placed upon this new creation that had been made in God’s image: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction.  But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will certainly die.”

     Now let’s do a little thought searching here and a little reasoning on what was said.  What would you consider if you were told the following by your doctor:  “This item of food is dangerous to you.  If you eat it you will die!”  Doesn’t that sound very plain?  If you eat the food you die. Would not the opposite also be true?  If you DON’T eat the food you will continue to live!  And so it would have been true in the case of Adam. If he had NOT eaten from the tree and been obedient to God’s requirement he would still be alive TODAY!  Obedience was the requirement that was laid upon him.  He didn’t NEED that specific tree for survival.  He had ALL the other foods available to him in the garden.  So, our question: WHAT went wrong?

    After the above analysis it’s plain to see the problem: Adam WAS NOT obedient and he ate from the tree. (Gen 3:6)  So because of this disobedience Adam had sinned against God! 

     The Hebrew (chata) and the Greek (hamartia), the most common words translated as “sin” in the Bible literally mean “missing of the mark.”  God himself sets the “mark” that his intelligent creatures are to reach. Missing that mark is sin, which is also unrighteousness, or lawlessness. Sin is anything not in harmony with God’s personality, standards, ways, and will, all of which are holy. It may involve wrong conduct, failure to do what should be done, ungodly speech, unclean thoughts, or desires or motives that are selfish. The Bible differentiates between inherited sin and willful sin, between an act of sin over which a person is repentant and the practice of sin.

A couple of questions to consider:

     Did perfection require that Adam and Eve be unable to do wrong?  The maker of a robot expects it to do exactly what he has programmed it to do. But a perfect robot would not be a perfect human. The qualities viewed as essential are not the same. Adam and Eve were humans, not robots. To humankind, God gave the ability to choose between right and wrong, between obedience and disobedience, to make moral decisions. Since this is the way humans were designed, the inability to make such decisions (and not an unwise decision) is what would have indicated imperfection.

     Is there really such a thing as “sin” nowadays?  Let’s illustrate: If a sick man was to break the thermometer, would that prove that he did not have a fever? If a thief said that he did not believe what is written in the law books, would that make him innocent of crime? Similarly, the fact that many people do not believe it is necessary to live according to Bible standards does not put an end to sin.

Some people may choose to do what God’s Word forbids. But that does not prove the Bible wrong. Galatians 6:7, 8 warns: “Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap; because he who is sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh.” The epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, broken homes, and so forth, gives evidence of the truthfulness of what the Bible says. God made man; He knows what will bring us lasting happiness; He tells us in the Bible. Does it not make sense to listen to Him?

If we understand WHAT went wrong from the beginning, at least as individuals we should be better prepared to make sure it doesn’t continue to happen in our case. We have a choice to make: Will we “miss the mark” or will we be obedient?  This is the important decision we have to make.   However, you’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Words can truly hurt,

choose the ones you use wisely."

Justice System

     I just spent this morning sitting in court.  NO, I haven’t been charged with anything.  But the court system is a public service and you have a right to go any time and observe the proceedings.  I was actually amazed at how many people had to show up on this day for court hearings.  I live in a small rural community, but the courtroom today was full of people.  Now there were no trial proceedings, but just regular cases.  At one point about three sheriff deputies came in with six inmates in shackles.  They too had to have their “hearings” before the judge.

     Now what really surprised me about the cases was this:  EVERY case got postponed to a future hearing date.  And I was only there for a couple of hours!  As each case was called it was agreed to by the Assistant District Attorney along with the defense attorney to have the judge set a new date for the hearing.  Now I’m only estimating that there were maybe fifteen to twenty cases that were heard during the time I was there and ALL of them were postponed to a future date!  Now add to that fact that some of these cases that were being heard today had already been postponed to today from another date in the past!

     It appears to me that NOTHING was actually done during this court session.  So I asked myself:  WHY is the justice system SO back logged on cases in the court system?  It appears that part of the reason is because NOTHING gets solved!  It is only postponed to another date to be dealt with at that time.  That just doesn’t make any sense!  Try applying that principal as a guideline within other businesses and see what happens!  Nothing would ever get accomplished.  Sadly the ones who usually get effected the most because of this and are often hurt the most are the “victims”.  And when a “solution” is finally reached in a case, REAL justice is never done.

     Maybe I’m not looking at this matter with complete clarity, but it seems the only people who are getting any gain from the present judicial system are the court personnel, judges, and attorneys!  Perhaps a line from the movie “Back to the Future” really makes good sense.  “The judicial system moves much faster now that attorneys have been abolished!”

     It seems we’ll have to await that future time when true justice is available for all:  A time when we won’t have to wait for months or years to get things done.  But until that time we’ll have to deal the best we can with the system we have.  Remember:  We’re Only Human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Accept what you are and THEN

do everything you can to get better."

Wait

     We all seem to be so impatient.  We don’t feel that computers are fast enough, nor are microwave ovens or other devices.  And yet it seems that wherever we go or whatever we do, we always wind up having to wait!  I’m sure you have noticed the same thing.  We go shopping at the grocery store or to Wal-Mart or to any other place and when we RUSH in to get a few things quickly, we always end up standing in the check- out line and waiting until we get our stuff paid for and can be on our way.  The same is true for other places.  Consider the following:

     We get into a really BIG hurry to make sure we’re not late for our doctor’s appointment.  So we’re usually fifteen to twenty minutes EARLY!  Then what happens?  We sit in the “waiting” room until finally we get called in for our appointment.  But we STILL have to wait.  We’re put into a little room until the nurse shows up.  She asks us a few questions and then says, “The doctor will be in shortly.”  Now we’ve already been waiting PAST our appointment time, but what can we do?  So we sit and wait some more!  Have you ever tried to count those little holes in the ceiling tiles?  It’s not an easy task, but you surely have the time to get it done.  After the doctor does come in, your waiting may not be over.  The doctor may want you to have “other” tests done and those too will require waiting.  And “heaven forbid” she or he wants to send you to the hospital to get something checked!!

     At this moment I can really understand this procedure.  I am sitting in the Social Security office waiting room and I DON’T have an appointment.  Of course, they take you in order of your arrival but you never know what the people ahead of you are going to be discussing with the clerk nor how long THEIR time with the clerk is going to last.  So you sit and wait “patiently”.  That’s not always easy to do when you have other things to do and you are trying to “guestimate” in your mind WHEN you are going to be able to take care of those things.  All the while you sit as others come in and they are also waiting with you!

     Some people will start to become impatient and complain about having to wait.  Although they COULD have come in earlier if they were that constrained for time.  But alas here we all sit until our number gets called.  What else are we going to do but WAIT?  As for myself I am using this time to compose this blog entry, but that too is a matter of some planning ahead knowing you are going to be waiting until they call you.

     We all know of many other situations where it’s a “hurry up and wait” process.  As you ponder the various situations in YOUR life that put you in a “WAITING” position think of the other things you have to do and see if you can use the “waiting” time more effectively.  Even if you could only come up with the idea of reading, make sure you are covering materials that would otherwise take time from your other daily activities.  This could wind up saving you time or at least giving you the means to get other activities caught up.  Or you can just enjoy the time reading things that will help you pass the time of waiting.

     It seems that regardless of the technological advances we make, there are ALWAYS going to be those situations where we have to WAIT!  If you can’t find anything else to do with the time while you are waiting you may find an opportunity to catch up on reading my blog posts.  Or you can just sit around like most of the others and complain about having to wait!  Not logical, but we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Don't wait for an opportunity to help someone ---

make an opportunity!"

If ONLY ---

     Have you ever wondered what would things be like if this or that had happened differently?  Or if you had made a different decision in the past, would you be in a better position today or would you be in a worse position?  I think all of us at one time or another have had those thoughts:  If ONLY we had done things differently!

     There’s nothing wrong with daydreaming and wondering how the outcome would have changed.  However, a more useful exercise would be to examine decisions made along with their outcomes BEFORE making new decisions or taking new actions.  You’ve probably heard it said:  If you continue to do things the same way, you’re going to get the same results.

     It seems that the desire to go back in our lives and “fix” the things we did wrong has been the topic of many a Hollywood movie.  Quiet often the theme is that it can be done and the aftermath would be that all in our life would now be “rosy” and “perfect”: just the way it should have been from the beginning.  However, the reality is that: first, we CAN’T go back and do things over.  There’s no Delorian or Marty McFly who is going to zip into the past and make a few adjustments and then zip back to the future and live the “charmed” life.  Second, if it WERE possible most movies leave out ALL the intrinsic details of the complexities that would be involved in altering even one detail of the past.  This has been called by some the Butterfly Effect!  What is it and how does it relate to our topic of changing something in the past?

     Simply put, the butterfly effect is defined (with reference to the chaos theory) as the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.  This is not a new notion.  Fichte in The Vacation of Man (1800) stated:  “You could not remove a single grain of sand from its place without thereby … changing something throughout all parts of the immeasurable whole.”

     This might sound like an unrealistic assumption.  How can a slight change like that one result in a big one such as a change the WHOLE?  Here is an example (very simple) that will help you understand the Butterfly Effect theory in real life.  A man was working in a company where he was mistreated by his manager and after months of being disrespected by his arrogant boss he decided to quit.  Before the man left the company he spoke about it to the other employees and the result was that three other people decided to quit too.

     When those people found themselves unemployed they decided to start their own business.  After some time and a lot of hard work their business became a very successful operation to the extent that they started competing with the company they used to work for.  Under the pressure of the fierce competition the old company declared bankruptcy!

     Didn’t you just notice the Butterfly Effect in that example?  The mistreatment of a SINGLE employee resulted in the bankruptcy of the company years later.  This is what the Butterfly Effect theory is all about, a small unnoticeable change that can result in a very big one later on.

     But as I mentioned earlier, the butterfly effect is also a common theme in fiction (particularly in the movies).  This theme typically involves presenting multiple what-if scenarios when one story line diverges into two different outcomes because of a change in a minor event.

     I thought one of the more interesting of these movie sources was The Butterfly Effect.  A 2004 movie starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, and Melora Walters about a young man who struggles to access sublimated childhood memories.  He finds a technique that allows him to travel back into the past, to occupy his childhood body and change history.  However, he soon finds that every change he makes has unexpected consequences: Mostly to his detriment.

     In summation I think we all realize that knowing the things we did at a certain time period in the past means we would probably make the SAME decisions that we made then.  We also know that we CAN’T return to the past and change anything from happening the way they did.  However, IF ONLY we could!  HOW would things turn out?  We’ll never know.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"When the job gets done successfully ---

don't worry about who gets the credit!"

When Was the LAST Time?

     Think about our every day busy lives.  If you’re a young person you’ve probably already started back to school.  Now every day you’ve got your class assignments, your after school club activities, or you’re involved in band or sports or something!  Then you can’t do a lot of relaxing in the evenings because you’ve got all that school homework to get finished or you’re lying in front of the TV wasting your time watching something you probably didn’t really want to see, but all the kids will be talking about it at school the next day and you want to be ready for the conversation.

     Now all you grownups are probably not much better because you’ve probably got to get yourself ready for work (and maybe the kids ready for school too.)  And if you’re not preparing before and/or after work for those meetings, those reports that have to be done, or catching up on the things you didn’t get finished the day before, you’re the “home” parent who must be caring for the cleaning, the meals, the disasters that “crop up” from time to time or you’re the one running the kids around to and from school, those after school activities and dealing with all their complaining.  Or maybe you’re the one who is doing ALL these things!  Have I left anybody out of the above scenarios?  If I did I’m sorry but you already know the grind of the daily routine you have to face.

     So with ALL these things going on in our lives sometimes we forget to show a little kindness to all the people in our life who really help us get through it all.  Often these people are not only dealing with the traumatic events of their own lives, but they are exerting themselves in many ways in our behalf.  Let’s take a few minutes and consider some of the main people I am talking about that may affect your life by starting out with some of the obvious.

     If you are a young person, when was the last time you thanked your parents?  To start with THEY gave you life!  Now don’t come up with that lame statement: “Well I never asked to be born!”  That is the dumbest comment I have ever heard.  Who of us --- ANY of us --- ever ASKED to be born?  Your parents gave you a special gift.  And their hopes have always been that you’d use that gift in the best way possible:  By being a descent, law abiding, honest, hard-working person who brings joy to their lives with every day you put forth your best potential possible.  Do they get angry at you for making mistakes, for disappointing them on occasions?  Possibly!  But they always love and desire that you be the best you can.  That’s why they feed you, house you, clothe you, and run you all around town for YOUR activities when they could be doing things they’d like to do.  And perhaps Y-E-A-R-S in the future you will learn of the true sacrifices THEY made so you could have a better life.  When was the last time you told them how much you loved them and how much you appreciate that THEY are YOUR parents?

     And stop for a moment and think about all those men and women who sacrifice to give you the education that you are going to need for the future!  I’m talking about your teachers.  Yes, they DO sacrifice!  Very few of them make a lot of money as teachers.  And when you calculate how much time they spend BEFORE and AFTER school, their actual hourly pay is extremely low.  Add to that that in today’s school system some teachers are paying for their classroom supplies OUT OF THEIR OWN MONEY!  This is because of their love and concern for the education of the children in their classes.  So, you young ones, when was the last time you told your teachers how much you appreciate all the things they do in your behalf?

     You adults when was the last time you told your mate how much they mean to you?  I know you work hard and provide financially for them and you home workers keep the affairs of the house in proper order, so shouldn’t they KNOW how much you care?  But ALL of us desire to HEAR how our mates feel about us.  We often long so desperately for those words of encouragement from our mate.  So take the time --- OFTEN --- to let them know HOW you feel about them.  Of course, the occasional unexpected little gift of affection is also appreciated too.

     Consider from time to time all the people who have touched your life and what effect they have had (or continue to have) on you.  Then ponder for yourself:  When was the last time ---?

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Today may be the BEST day of your life.

Don't let it slip through your fingers unappreciated."