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Problem Solving
Problems cannot be solved
at the same level of awareness that created them.
Albert Einstein
 Problem solving is an opportunity. It is an occasion to assert
control in our life and to take responsibility for our direction and progress.
It's a time to test our theories, to improve on the ones that work and to learn
from the ones that don't work. In problem solving, we learn how the world works,
and we learn about ourselves and our capabilities.
Techniques for problem solving.
 | We can approach a problem in many ways.
 | Making an analogy of it. |
| Drawing a picture of it. |
| Viewing it in the opposite of the conventional perspective. |
| Defining it in a different context or just in different words. |
| Imagining the advice we would give to someone who approached us with this
problem. |
| challenging our assumptions regarding the situation. |
| Asking ourselves what this problem can be trying to teach us. |
| Visualizing a future scenario in which the problem has been solved and
then seeing how it was solved, |
| Looking for patterns of similar problems that have arisen. |
| Seeing the situation from a fresh outlook. |
| Asking ourselves, "If I knew the correct choice, which one would it
be?". |
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| Increase the flow of ideas. While brainstorming for a solution, let
your imagination run freely to generate as many ideas as possible. As the
ideas appear, write them without evaluating their suitability or logic. Any
analysis or criticism would disrupt the creativity. We can permit ideas that
are wild and unreasonable, they will be sorted out later. |
| Let the problem incubate. After we have gathered and studied the
necessary information through brainstorming and research, the solution may not
emerge immediately. This is the time for incubation, letting the problem be
mulled over by other parts of our brain that have special skills in organizing
data. We can say that the problem goes from the conscious mind to the
subconscious, or from the brain's analytical left hemisphere to the creative
right hemisphere. During this incubation period, we may think about the problem
occasionally, but we do this in a receptive, relaxed, patient, listening way,
knowing that the answer will come to us. |
We have a problem.
"Congratulations." But it's a tough problem. "Then double
congratulations."
W. Clement Stone
Next topic: Assertiveness |
