"Isn't it obviously what the problem is," you think when someone doesn't see the problem that you do. Some problems are obvious and easily defined. Some problems are so complex that they're called "hydras" after the monster Hydra that had nine heads; cut off one of it's head and three would grow back (Hercules killed Hydra by using a torch to cauterize the neck as he cut off each of the monster's heads).
First off lets define what a problem is. Here's the dictionary definition: An obstacle that keeps us from reaching our goal. Put another way, it's what's between you and what you want.
You ----[Problem]----What you want.
What is it that you want? To get to work on time? To have your child listen to you? To be rich and famous?
What's keeping us from what you want? Traffic? Puberty? Inability to get noticed? There could be many things keeping us from what we want. Defining the problem isn't always an easy answer.
We must investigate, examine, and analyze to define our problems.
What exactly is keeping you from your goals, wants, and needs? What is the obstacle?
Is it physical? Like a stalled car blocking the road or someone standing in your way. Or is it a person or persons like your boss not giving you a raise? Is it a situation like lack of money, broken computer, or lost phone?
What are the consequences of this problem? There are of course the emotional affects, but what will happen if we don't reach our goal? For example, what are the consequences of us waking up 20 minutes late for work? Maybe we won't get a good parking space. Maybe we only miss eating breakfast. Or maybe it's not a problem at all, you're the boss.
With any problem there is an emotional weight that we attach to it. That is, we have our own internal rating system. In this system rating our decisions are weighed based upon our emotions. We judge our problems just as we might rate a movie on a scale from one star to four stars. If the movie affects us positively we give it four stars. If the movie disgusts us we give it no stars.
So it is that we rate the emotional affect that a problem has on us. For example, on a scale from 1 to 10 we might rate sitting in traffic gridlock while late for work an 8 because we might get yelled at by the boss. A bad haircut may rate only a 5 to some while the cable going out a 10 for others. Just as we might rate a song differently, we rate the same problem emotionally different.
Emotions can cloud our judgement. Emotions can keep us from seeing the real problem. Emotions need to be examined through introspection. Look inside yourself to examine how the problem affects you, what you want, and why you want it.
Another question to ask is whose problem it is? Who owns the problem? For example, if someone is drumming his or her fingers on the table making a noise that annoys us, whose problem is it? It's no problem to the person who's doing the drumming; he or she may be oblivious to your feelings or reaction. So the problem is yours--you're the one who's annoyed.
Problems won't always be easily defined. It takes reflection and study to define some problems. Really analyze your problems to make sure your solving the right problem.
Next: Ideas! Ideas! Ideas!
(c) Kava Java LLC 2012
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