Problem Solving

Someone recently asked me how I solve a problem. First and foremost, I said that it depended on the problem. Everyone’s definition of words is different. What I might consider an enigma, another person might see as a routine issue. 

Typically I find that a lot of my problem solving stems from something ‘not being quite right’ in the pit of my stomach. I can look at data and may not completely understand it upon first glance but immediately I can feel that something is off. From there I will review the data until I can figure out where ‘the off’ is back ‘on’. If that doesn’t happen after slicing and dicing for a while, then I may bring in a second pair of eyes. Often others can see things that you can’t because you’ve been looking so intently at the data that it becomes one big fog of information.

Another scenario is where there is a bottleneck or barrier to getting something done. In this kind of problem, often it is about generating ideas and other options to clear out the bottleneck. I might draw out a current situation and then some variations that could fix the mess. Invariably, once I have something prepared in some form or other, I might present it to someone else for validation or even just as a sounding board. Does my thought process make sense? Is this a feasible solution? 

What it comes down to is that my way of solving issues is a very individual thing at first and then I will collaborate and bring it to others for confirmation. 

After I thought about it for a while, I wondered what other ways there were to solve problems. When I was working on math or Science problems in school, it was always me first and then consult with either a teacher or a classmate. Perhaps the real problem here is how one defines solving a problem in the first place. Honestly, I am not sure. Shall we discuss it further?