The First Key to Faster Solutions
The first and often overlooked key to solving any life problem
Unlike the movers and shakers regularly featured on CNN’s “Reading for Leading” TV program, I prefer e-books to hard copies. (Thanks to my ever-expanding collection of Amazon Kindle e-books.) Of course, academic books and journals are best read in printed formats. The tab and my smartphone are my go-to devices for reading, writing, and storing all those pop-up ideas.
It was a Saturday morning and I needed to grab some widgets for one of my WordPress websites. Except for web-based apps, I do not backup to the web. Backing up several gigabytes of device storage files to the web will literally bore a hole into my pocket in terms of data costs. To make matters worse, the available network speed is such that it will take forever to do any backup. This loss has been greatly assuaged by easy access to cheap portable USB storage devices.
Now, back to my story. On that day, unlike hundreds of times before, the tab bricked on me, steadfastly failing to boot up. The petite pristine off-white device has been serving me hitch-free since I got it from Amazon two years before. Why then this sudden lockout without warning? Frantically, I pressed two of the three side buttons in various combinations in an attempt to return it to its default factory state. All my efforts availed nothing. None of the other house members could be of any help either. One even advised me to let the tab “cool down” and “sleep” for a while in its off-state. To which I answered, barely hiding my worked-up exasperation, “How is that suggestion going to solve my problem now?” With an impish grin on his face, he replied, “Well daddy, that’s how these stuff behave at times. Just let it “sleep” and rest for a while.” I wish I could accept his palliative, but I half-heartedly responded, “OK” as I left the parlor.
Enter, panic mode. Well, not yet. At worst, I have to buy another device. Back in the room, I whispered a prayer, “My God, I can ill afford the cash for a new tab now. Neither do I have the time for a repair trip to the phone village. Please, wake this tab up.” Trying to calm down as best as I could, I had this ministration ruminating in my mind, “Hey Chris, wait a minute. What exactly is the problem you are facing now? Now, let’s define the problem in a brief phrase or sentence. OK? OK.”
Problem definition: “Galaxy S8.4 Tab not powering up.”
The next thing I did was to enter the above phrase into … (of course you already knew where). And voila tout, Google came to the rescue. It turned out that some other people has already encountered and solved this same issue. Without any recourse to reinventing the wheel, the issue was quickly resolved. Till today, the tab is still intact but archived in perpetual hibernation in my home museum. The battery is dead.
I am in full agreement with you that, this is a mundane run-of-the-mill experience. In all probability, you might have encountered and solved more profound and earth-shaking challenges. The whole point from this experience is, whenever you are faced with any challenge, big or small, what you do first is to identify and define what the problem is. A problem well-defined is half-solved. Well, at least this should apply to the ordinarily relatively simple issues and problems that make up the drudgery of daily life on this planet.
Project managers use the concept of Progressive Elaboration. At its heart is the recognition that you cannot plan for all the issues that may arise on any project all at once at the beginning. At the onset, you plan as much as the immediately available information allows you to do. Moving along as the project progresses, you update your plan always including more information and changes as you know more about the project and the processes driving it forward.
This is the first point
In more sophisticated endeavors with their at times seemingly intractable and unexpected challenges, you must always identify and define the problem condition first. Counterintuitive as it is, this is not always our first resort in the face of hectic schedules, bickering workers, or uncooperative customers. Oftentimes, we waste so many resources, time, and energy scurrying about blasting away our bullets before remembering to effectively aim our guns in the right direction.
Here is the second point.
Always have a backup plan for your devices. Reliable, as they are mobile devices, are not failure-proof. You already know that too well. These devices are getting ever cheaper and more functional these days. Go and get a second pocket device. Alternatively, at your next upgrade cycle, you can use your older device as a backup that mirrors your all-the-time most favored carry-on device. Keep the older device at home or in your office as insurance against unexpected failures. There are more elegant backup services online, but most of us will be hard-pressed to replace costly high-end devices at short notice.
Any problem-solving strategy entails several steps. Whether at personal or corporate levels, an unambiguous definition of the problem situation must be your first objective. Otherwise, you will be boxing the air in wasteful and unproductive efforts.
For me, all ended well because I was able to define my problem earlier on at its onset. Are you seeking a solution to any problem? Define it first. You already know that. All I’ve just done is remind you.
First published by the author on Medium.