Problem Solving

Recent stories of toilet paper hoarding remind me of my own toilet paper apocalypse and the lesson I learned from it. On a 3-day visit to a remote atoll in French Polynesia, I awoke on Dec. 17, 1977 at the home of my host family—nature was calling…

First Problem: Where’s the bathroom?

Noting that there was no bathroom in my host family’s home and not being able to speak either French or Polynesian, I expressed my needs to the family using my charade skills. They understood and pointed me towards the lagoon. 

I walked down the path to the beach and from there I could see out in the shallows an outhouse on stilts just above the water line.  I waded through the warm water to the facility and opened the door. 

Second Problem: Where’s the toilet paper?!

Back I went, wading through the water and then back up to my host family’s home for another round of charades. This one was more difficult, but after a while they produced a somewhat small, waxy piece of tissue paper.  That would have to do.

Precious tissue in hand, I waded out to the outhouse, climbed into the structure, and sat down on the roughhewn wooden seat.  It was at that point I noticed some French newspapers placed next to the seat.  My 13-year-old brain thought, “it’s awfully dark in here to read a newspaper.” 

Ask the Right Question

Later that day, reflecting on my morning adventure and anticipating a similar dilemma the following morning, I asked myself, “If toilet paper is not available, how is everyone dealing with this common problem?”

Reframe the Problem

At that point, I realized that my problem was not a lack of toilet paper but the need to clean myself. Once I had reframed the problem, my mind instantly presented new ideas.  For instance, I realized that the newsprint in the dark outhouse was not for reading.  Also, I realized I had access to a warm-tropical-water bidet. There were many ways to solve my problem!

Not Invented Here

Sometimes we become wedded to a certain idea or way of doing things. Especially when we are faced with the stress of solving an urgent problem, we suffer from the myopia of amygdala hijack.  Taking a moment to understand the underlying root problem,  you are apt to open yourself to new ideas and new perspectives.

How do you develop a rich set of diverse ideas for consideration to solve the challenges that you face?

I’m a planner.  I love to plan.  Yet, so many times I find myself on teams that jump right into action without taking even a moment to plan. Sometimes we don’t even share the problem we’re all trying to solve. Ever happened to you?

What is the connection between problem solving and people? In Teamwork 9.0, I describe the team dynamics that set up your teammates for success.  I found this connection when studying the Enneagram.

The Enneagram describes 9 distinct dynamics.  I realized the connection between people and problem solving while contemplating why Enneagram Type 1 is labeled “1,” Enneagram Type 2 is labeled “2,” and so on through Type 9. 

I discovered that the Enneagram not only describes nine personality dynamics, it also describes the order in which humans solve problems! 

For instance, which Enneagram type is most closely associated with a person who points out problems?  The answer is clearly Enneagram Type 1 who is often called the Perfectionist.  And, what is the first step in any problem-solving process?  Identifying that there is a problem. The Enneagram Type 1 dynamic corresponds to Step 1 in problem solving.

Chapter 2 of Teamwork 9.0 lays out each Enneagram dynamic and shows how each dynamic corresponds to a specific step in problem solving. Here’s a summary:

Step 1: Problem-Goal — Identify the problems and define the goals.

Step 2: Stakeholder Identification — Recruit a committed team.

Step 3: Ideation — Generate ideas for solutions.

Step 4: Emotional Reaction — Assess reactions to each idea.

Step 5: Logical Analysis — Study and score promising ideas.

Step 6: Planning — Select the most promising idea and build an action plan.

Step 7: Promotion — Passionately promote the plan and get approval to proceed.

Step 8: Implementation — Execute the plan and solve the problem!

Step 9: Integration — Confirm the problem is solved with all stakeholders.

Does your team get smoothly through all the steps in problem solving?  Which steps are easy for your team? In which steps do you tend to get stuck? Which steps do you skip altogether?

The Enneagram reveals the answers to these questions, and Teamwork 9.0 serves as a guide to help you understand your team and balance it for best performance.

Here are examples of other teams I have seen:

Fail Fast

Git ‘er Done

Paralysis by Analysis

A Well-Oiled Machine

Sweeps Problems Under the Rug

What’s a phrase that describes your team?