This blog post was created for my soon to be released website TakeMyTroubles.com
Solving Problems: Who, What, Where, Why, How, When
This Problem Solving section is prefaced with the theme you are in control of your attitude and reaction to events. Because what you perceive as a big problem may be much smaller or quite possibly an opportunity. Although you may not be able to control all things around you, you do have the power and ability to control how you react and deal with them. Of course some reactions are purely instinctive, some are learned over time, and some are consciously decided. Which ever method(s) you use to react, once you emerge from your emotional chaos, you can use a problem resolution process to choose your next step and your behavior.
Problem solving implies there is either something wrong with the current situation or you want to improve it. Many times a situation results from an event such in the Trouble Tree fable when the carpenter’s power saw fails and truck does not start. Possibly these events could have been avoided or delayed by keeping the truck in better repair for example. However, the event occurred. The “would have,” “could have,” “should have,” did not happen. How you react, deal, and cope with your failed truck is another matter.
You can blame others and lash out for not properly maintaining the truck or for not storing the saw properly. You can get upset, angry, and have the situation negatively affect the way you treat and interact with others by behaving short tempered, yelling, swearing, pouty, and rude. Or you can blame yourself and take a victim role where bad things happen to you because for some reason you are not good enough and therefore you behave meekly, incapable, tentative, and indifferent.
Or you can take the situation for what it is; a failed saw and a failed truck and let your emotions flow like water rolling off a duck’s back. You experience the emotions and feelings - anger, frustration, lack of control, worry, pressure, stress. But you still have a broken saw and a truck that doesn’t start. Now what are you going to do. Take a deep breadth and release the stress. You clear your head to neutralize the situation and allow your reason to rise. Now you can do something about it and without negatively impacting others.
Search the web and you will find thousands of processes for problem solving and problem resolution. Although many of these processes suggest visualizing the future, simulating the past may actually yield better results. By objectively reviewing the past events, the who, what, where, when, why, and how, you are more likely to better understand the situation, seek advice from others, take action, feel better, and learn from the experience. (see UCLA study for further detail)
TakeMyTroubles.com problem resolution process:
Who, What, Where, Why, How, When
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Who is involved with this situation
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What happened, just the facts
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Where did the problem originate
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Why do you want to change
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How will you change
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When will you do it
TakeMyTroubles.com problem resolution process applied to the Trouble Tree fable
Who is involved with this situation
- Initially: Carpenter, farmhouse owner
- Then: carpenter’s family
What happened, just the facts
- The carpenter had a flat tire and missed an hour of work.
- The carpenter’s power saw broke.
- The carpenter’s truck wouldn’t start to go home.
- The farmhouse owner took the carpenter home.
- On the ride home, the carpenter sat in stoney silence.
- Upon arriving home, the carpenter released his troubles on his “Trouble Tree”.
- Entering his home, the carpenter transformed his attitude and greeted his family with hugs, love, and affection.
- The farmhouse owner asked the carpenter about his transformation at the tree.
- The carpenter shared his Trouble Tree ritual.
Where did the problem originate
- The carpenter's truck tire became flat on the way to work
- The carpenter's saw broke at work
- The carpenter truck failed to start leaving work
Why do you want to change
- The carpenter loves his family and wants to maintain harmony in the home.
- The carpenter also wants to set a good example for his children.
- The carpenter does not want to bring his anger, frustrations, troubles, and negative attitude into his home with his family.
- The carpenter wanted to be positive and loving with his family.
How will you change
- The carpenter used a ritual of letting go of his troubles on his Trouble Tree. Once he sent his troubles on to the tree, he felt a weight leaving his shoulders and a smile cross his face.
When will you do it
- The carpenter changed his attitude at his house at his Trouble Tree.
