Learn How To Make Problems Fade Away
Four Basic Approaches to Search for Solutions to Problems
By: Rev Stephen A Herring
To start with, we will look at the four basic strategies people employ when faced with problems. These are fight, flight, transcendence, and transformation. The key to choosing which solution is best is to remember in the words of Ecclesiastes that there is a time and a place for everything. Each of these problem solving strategies has its place under certain circumstances.
Our problems fade away when we choose the right strategy. They grow if the approach is inappropriate. To begin, we should also remember we all have a tendency to stick with the same worn out strategies over and over again even when what we are doing is not working. If you do not like the results you are getting at problem solving, try another strategy.
Fight
In this popular solution, problems are met with direct confrontation. Problems can be solved in this way if the problem solver possesses greater strength than the one causing the problem. An example of this problem solving strategy  would be the "surround and contain" strategy employed by fire fighters. If the problem is a  building on fire, the fire department surrounds the building so as to prevent the fire from spreading, then they over power the fire by pouring water on it. We employ this strategy whenever we take a "Do it or else!" attitude. Our solution works as long as we have the resources to enforce the consequences of not doing our will.
This is the strategy most parents use in dealing with the behavior problems of young children. It works as long as the children are small and easily over powered. Solutions become more difficult when the child grows into a teenager and this strategy fails to bring a solution. This approach often creates larger problems because we over estimate our own strength and under estimate the strength of the party we wish to over power.
Flight
This is a popular solution. Think of all the people who have solved problems simply by leaving town, divorcing their partner, or quitting their job. Flight is a natural response to an acute problem, but it only works when the advantages of being some place else outweigh the advantages of staying put. In twelve step programs this is referred to as a "Geographic Solution."
Geographic solutions have a distinct disadvantage in that, if YOU are the PROBLEM CREATOR, the problem goes with you.  "Wherever you go, there you are." This is why people frequently sense the same old problems just keep on following them around.
Transcendence
This is the path of acceptance, whereby we simply choose to ignore a given  problem and fight our battles elsewhere. Transcendence works through perspective. If our perspective is accurate, transcendence can work. If our perspective is not accurate, transcendence usually fails. With this strategy, we persuade ourselves to accept a given situation by convincing ourselves it is not that bad after all. The danger here is that we can easily slip into total denial. People have an almost unlimited ability to accept atrocities as perfectly normal when they in denial. On the other hand, some problems really need to be ignored. We need to know if our perceptions are anywhere close to the truth. The only way to do this is to communicate with people about the problem. When in doubt get a reality check. The two traps which we need to avoid are driving ourselves crazy obsessing over a problem that is so minute as to be no problem at all, or calmly resting in denial as our world disintegrates from our denying a horrible problem.
Transformation
This is the true power of problem solving. Here the information we possess about a problem, or the truth we understand leads us to change the whole situation. This is the focus of creative problem solving strategies and the ultimate goal of all truth seekers who earnestly search for optimal solutions. Transformation occurs when things change. Things change because a change agent brought energy to bear on the system in exactly the right way.
Transformative problem solving strategies almost always come from within the problematic system. A good example would be an alcoholic who decides to join a twelve step program in order to recover. He or she will be transformed, remade from the inside out.
This is seldom the result of winning a power struggle through confrontation, and it often follows years of fruitless running away and denial. Note the solution comes from within. This simple concept also works for larger, systematic problems. In an organization, the solution created by the stake holders within the system will always be superior to a solution designed, announced, or imposed from outside.
Similarly, leaders are more likely to be successful when they help people to solve their own problems. The ancient philosophy of Alchemy was all about transformation. The guiding principles of Alchemy dictate we can only effect transformation when we understand the true nature of the problem we are dealing with. This means that transformation derives from knowing the truth. This is a foundational principle at Chronicles and is the reason why so much emphasis is placed on a dedication to Non Partisan Pursuit of Truth® in news gathering and reporting.
PROBLEM DEFINITION AND SOLUTION WORK SHEET
What is the problem?
The first item most people notice when arriving at ChroNews dot com is the "What's The Problem" box. It is given prominence on the home page because that is the focus of the Chronicles mission, solving problems. The fact that the box is relatively small hopefully encourages those searching for solutions to problems to name the problem in as few words as possible. Problems that can't be solved are often problems that can't be defined.
Definition is the first step in gaining a handle on a problem. Definition is a process where we set finite limits around the object being defined. This means we define a problem by describing where it begins and where it ends. To define something we literally need to "grasp" it.
How big is this problem?
Be honest here. Place it on a scale somewhere between a hangnail and the Black Plague. You might discover that the problem is either significantly smaller or larger than you thought it was. It is extremely important to understand the scale of the problem. Misunderstanding scale can lead us to either blow up a small problem or to deny a large one.
Why should we care?
People need to be motivated in order to engage in the search for solutions. Caring is the word we use to describe the way we get stirred up, or moved into action to seek a common solution. The specific argument here needs to be; "Why should we NOT accept this situation? Why should we NOT allow it to continue?"
Who or what does this problem hurt?
This is the area where we need to learn the truth about each other. One of the reasons big problems go unsolved is because people hide from the truth about the harm that is being done. It is too easy for us to ignore another person's pain or to justify it, or to explain it away. We need to calmly witness the truth about the harm that is being done by a given problem.
Who benefits because of this problem?
The truth is that someone usually gains some advantage from every problem. Problems are allowed to persist because continuance of the problem serves someone's interests. In terms of personal problem solving, one of the most powerful questions we can ask is; "Why do I need this problem?"
Is this problem commonly understood or misunderstood?
Unsolved problems thrive on misunderstanding. If we can blame the wrong people for the problem, we can allow it to continue. If we do not understand the nature of the problem, we will not be able to propose a decent solution. Our politicians have been in the business for some years of perpetuating the misunderstanding of problems in order to perpetuate ineffective solutions.
What is the origin of this problem?
In medicine this is called etiology. We believe that we understand the nature of things by understanding where they come from. Usually when we work on problem solving we are working to change outcomes. Outcomes are the effects that come from specific causes. Changing the cause changes the effects.
What other problems is this problem related to?
Problems, like all earth's creatures, belong to families. Typology is the study of how things relate into types, or categories. Understanding the type of problem we face helps us to know where to look for solutions. Similar solutions often apply to similar problems. Related solutions can frequently be adapted to related problems.
What will happen if this problem grows significantly?
To keep small problems from becoming big ones, and big problems from becoming huge ones we need to look ahead. One of the greatest failures of our age is that we have failed to understand the way problems will grow over time if left unsolved. An example is the unfounded liabilities and the related debt crisis and nearly all governmental levels. How big do certain problems need to get before people decide to take constructive action? Here we need to be reasonable and not alarmist, but we need to play the tape forward to see what will happen if a given pattern of behavior continues at the same rate for a given period of time. This is an exercise in perspective, and is only useful if it encourages solutions. It is not effective if we use it to blow manageable problems up into total catastrophes, which become unmanageable.
Propose a solution to this problem.
Go ahead! Just try it! You might be surprised at how creative you can be if you allow yourself to think freely. I do not know of a single person who got hit with a rubber hose because they proposed a solution. Failure is irrelevant here. Just work the problem! Work the problem freely, with energy and intelligence.
What other solutions have been proposed?
This requires an open mind in that some solutions might be practical but not popular. Others might be popular but impractical. It is a good idea here to look carefully at whose interests are likely to be served by any given proposed solutions.
Why is your solution the best?
Go ahead! Be confident and promote the solution you see! Let your light shine!
Who benefits from the solution you are proposing?
This is an important step in honesty. Is your solution benefiting all the players or just a few? What biases, if any are operative in the solution you have proposed?
Who might be harmed by this solution?
This requires rigorous honesty. This is a step toward self-correction. By this step, we can assure that our solution does not worsen the problem.
List key resources which you believe may help us to understand or solve this problem.
One of the issues of the internet age is that we have never had so many people with access to so many great resources who, unfortunately are not using them to the extent possible for solving problems. We can solve all sorts of problems simply by sharing key resources more effectively. That is what the Search for Solutions at ChroNews dot com is all about.
Come join us today and become part of the solution.
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