Last weekend winter started in earnest in the UK with the return of cold weather and frost at night. So I went out and bought coal, a barrowful of logs and kindling to start a fire in the multi fuel wood burning stove we installed a few years ago in our living room. We had had the chimney swept as well so all was set for a comfortable evening in front of a warming fire.
Well not quite. When I removed the fireguard I noticed to my dismay that the glass in the door was broken – so not only no fire but a seemingly intractable problem which could ultimately mean investing in an expensive new stove. However, after some initial moments of frustration and annoyance I calmed down, went online, Googled how to fix the glass in a stove door, and discovered that the manufacturer Dimplex sold replacement glass which I ordered. I then found out – eventually - how to take the broken door off and struggled to remove the glass because the screws on the retaining parts were rusted solid. Then this week when the new glass arrived I managed, not without some difficulty, to fit it into place. So as I write this it is in front of a blazing fire and I have learnt yet more about the art of the possible in DIY.
My point is that the harder a problem may appear, whether in do it yourself repairs or professional working life, the more there is an opportunity to learn and to fix the challenge. It just takes the right attitude to stop being annoyed or even apprehensive and start looking for a solution.
This Harvard Business Review article has some interesting views on solving complex problem and aptly quotes Albert Einstein “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Looking into the topic it seems that the best advice is firstly as it says on the front screen of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “Don’t Panic”, then assess the problem, consider your options and seek and implement a solution. An interesting dilemma in this sort of situation is the extent you engage your team to help and how much as a leader you are prepared to genuinely seek help as opposed to imposing your views in the crisis. See another Harvard Business Review Article which discusses this issue commenting The right blend of conviction and openness sets the stage for others to participate in surfacing an untested solution that builds on the leader’s best thinking, but refines it with the inputs of others.
For me the whole thing of problem solving is having the right attitude to look for a solution. Franklin D Roosevelt counselled "One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment . . . ; If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along."
And ultimately as Winston Churchill said Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Well not quite. When I removed the fireguard I noticed to my dismay that the glass in the door was broken – so not only no fire but a seemingly intractable problem which could ultimately mean investing in an expensive new stove. However, after some initial moments of frustration and annoyance I calmed down, went online, Googled how to fix the glass in a stove door, and discovered that the manufacturer Dimplex sold replacement glass which I ordered. I then found out – eventually - how to take the broken door off and struggled to remove the glass because the screws on the retaining parts were rusted solid. Then this week when the new glass arrived I managed, not without some difficulty, to fit it into place. So as I write this it is in front of a blazing fire and I have learnt yet more about the art of the possible in DIY.
My point is that the harder a problem may appear, whether in do it yourself repairs or professional working life, the more there is an opportunity to learn and to fix the challenge. It just takes the right attitude to stop being annoyed or even apprehensive and start looking for a solution.
This Harvard Business Review article has some interesting views on solving complex problem and aptly quotes Albert Einstein “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Looking into the topic it seems that the best advice is firstly as it says on the front screen of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “Don’t Panic”, then assess the problem, consider your options and seek and implement a solution. An interesting dilemma in this sort of situation is the extent you engage your team to help and how much as a leader you are prepared to genuinely seek help as opposed to imposing your views in the crisis. See another Harvard Business Review Article which discusses this issue commenting The right blend of conviction and openness sets the stage for others to participate in surfacing an untested solution that builds on the leader’s best thinking, but refines it with the inputs of others.
For me the whole thing of problem solving is having the right attitude to look for a solution. Franklin D Roosevelt counselled "One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment . . . ; If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along."
And ultimately as Winston Churchill said Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
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