We are all experienced problem solvers on some level. We have gone to school, worked at a job, moved into a new home, purchased a car, gone on a trip...each of these events takes problem solving skills. For most of us though, the skills are more intuitive than actions we break down into step by step decisions. We problem solve without really understanding how we come to the solutions. Sometimes though, we encounter problems that are outside of our own knowledge base and we don't quite know where to begin. The size or the complexity of the problem seem to overwhelm or paralyze us into inaction; we don't know where to start so we don't start. In order to work through that difficulty, we are going to work through a complex problem step by step, then use that process as a parable to help us with our task of Self Reliance Preparation.
There was a man named Thomas who worked in a company. He liked his Boss who Thomas felt was visionary, fair, and energetic- and Thomas worked well with and respected his other team members. After many discussions and team meetings, the decision was made to build a new building for their company. The company had reached a point that in order to survive the business environment that was forecast, the move needed to happen. The Boss felt strongly that now was the time to move forward and he expected each team member to contribute to the process. The team members knew that there would be decisions along the way that would require everyone's input, but that someone would have to lead out and be in charge of the whole process. The day after the meeting, Thomas was called into his Boss's office and told that the decision had been made that Thomas would be in charge of getting the building built.
If you were in his place, you would probably feel the same feelings he had; overwhelmed, frightened of failing or disappointing his Boss or team members, perhaps also excited and motivated. His motivations would be like ours: Thomas respected his Boss and wanted to keep the great relationship he had with him, he knew that his team depended on him, and of course- his own financial survival might depend on the outcome of this project. So even though Thomas did not know how to build a building, he knew how to problem solve. He began the project by using Problem Solving Steps:
1. Gather information Thomas began a survey of what specifications would be required by his company, what the amount of funding would be available, possible Architectural Firms and Real Estate Agents that had experience in this type of project. He did online research as well as looked at other buildings that were similar to his companies needs, within the budget that was tentatively set.
2. Define the Problem After Thomas organized the information, he began to see where some issues were. For example, he needed to choose an Architect within the price range that had been approved, and had brought previous projects in on budget and on time. Thomas closely defined what his requirements were.
3. Develop Solutions Thomas needed input on the final Architect decision, so he decided the solution would be that he would interview 10 possible candidates, choose the top 3, and have the Boss and his team members participate in the final decision.
4. Consider the Consequences If the team chose a different Architect than Thomas wanted, what course of action could Thomas take and still maintain the integrity of the process? Should Thomas rethink the solution, choose the Architect he felt he could work with and have him interviewed by the team? What if Thomas did not have as much experience with Architectural Firms as someone else on his team? Would he miss the opportunity for better input?
5. Make a Decision After considering the possible consequences, Thomas decided that he would trust his team, he set up interviews for 3 Architectural Firms.
6. Implement the Decision, then Evaluate After interviewing the 3 candidates, the team looked at the criteria that Thomas had determined and made a decision. The contract was offered, it was accepted and the work went forward. As part of the contract though, there were milestones that had to be met by each party, and they evaluated progress on a continuing basis.
As the building progressed, there were unexpected problems that needed to be solved. The amount of money budgeted to build the building was not going to be enough. The land they had purchased has some water table issues that were not known in the beginning and it would cost more to work with the building codes required. The cost of building supplies had gone up, and there had been a misunderstanding of the taxes and when they would have to be paid. As Thomas considered the problems, he had a choice: He could just pretend everything was fine and ignore the problems (have you ever done that? it's not very successful in the long run, is it?!) Or he could go thru the problem solving steps again, and take the problems and some possible solutions to the Boss and discuss it with him. Since Thomas had already established a trusting relationship and he knew the Boss also wanted the project to be successful, he knew the best thing would be to discuss the issues and come up with solutions together that the Boss would endorse. Thomas knew that as long as he was honest and upfront with his Boss and the team, he wouldn't be blamed for things he was not in control of. The team then met and came up with the following plans:
A Choose less expensive items when possible, decide what could be negotiated and what is crucial.
B Determine if there were some items that can be eliminated totally- they are nice but not essential.
C Look at what could be postponed for purchase later after the building is built.
D See if there were ways to increase the company's cash flow. Are there things being purchased now that can be stopped, or ways to bring more income into the company
The team decided that some items in the building they had chosen could be eliminated, some less expensive versions could be substituted, and there were income possibilities that they examined and they were working on to bring in additional funds.
Some tips that can help along the way in the problem solving process:
• There will be many different cycles of problem solving going on simultaneously
• Learn to differentiate facts from interpretations
• Break complex problems in to sub-problems
• Compare costs vs benefits
Creativity may be needed, esp in cost saving choices
There are many problem solving cycles along the way in small ways and large. In time, Thomas and his team completed the construction of the building. There were challenges along the way, some things worked out well, others not so well, but in the end Thomas, his Team and his Boss were satisfied with the results and the expected good outcomes were realized.
So, as we decide that we need to become Self Reliant, we will face the same challenges in our problem solving situations that Thomas did in the parable. We may feel overwhelmed because we may have limited knowledge or experience. We may feel afraid of failing, of making a mistake, letting our family down, or letting our Boss, our Heavenly Father, down. But we can also choose to feel excited and motivated. Our motivations can be the same:
• Our relationship to our Heavenly Father- we want to be obedient.
• We want to protect our family who may be depending on us,
• And our survival may depend on how well we do what we are asked
We have an important task that needs to be completed, our Self Reliance/ Food Storage/Emergency Preparation. Just like Thomas, we need to have a good relationship with our Heavenly Father so that we can counsel with him as we gather information and make decisions about those tasks. He is Visionary of course because He knows the future and has told us over and over again what is ahead for our world. He is Fair, because as long as we are obedient and trying to do what is asked of us, we can expect His blessings. He knows that we may not be able to accomplish everything that we desire to do, because just like Thomas things will come up- things will cost more than we have, and we will have unexpected bumps along the way but because we are obedient, we can counsel with Him to help us with those challenges.
We can use the same problem solving steps-Thomas didn’t know how to build a building, but he knew how to problem solve. His team built a building, but another team might have built a totally different building and both would be acceptable. We may not have the same food storage as someone else, but it can be acceptable too. We each have different resources, needs and abilities. We have been asked for over 75 years from the prophets store food, but for some people who are just recent members- this is a totally new concept. But for both groups, we have to start somewhere.
In the March 2009 Ensign, we have been asked to focus on the following:
• 3 months food supply
• Drinking water
• Financial reserve
Once this is accomplished we can then work towards a Longer Term Supply
Please read the articles in the March 2009 which are also linked in this blog to the LDS church Website and on Blog postings here
On 2 Problem Solving Step 1: Gathering Information, we will talk about how to begin gathering and organizing information
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