Timestamps

00:00:00: Introduction
00:02:21: Idea for action 1: minimum viable progress
00:03:47: Idea for action 2: be flexible with your fix

00:05:06: Useful resources
00:06:03: Final thoughts

Interview Transcription

Sarah Ellis: We're on day 2 of the Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint and today we're talking about problem-solving.

Helen Tupper: So, we think that this is an important skill to prioritise because problems are normal.  They are every day and for everyone, and sometimes these problems are small things, like there's something you're meant to do today and it's going a different way than you maybe expected, and sometimes they're big, they're like, "Oh my gosh, this is not what we wanted, and we don't know how we're going to get through this situation".  But what we want you to do is develop this skill so you don't stall.  Knots are normal, but we don't want you to get stuck in those sorts of problems that we might face at work.  And that's why this skill is such an important one for us to focus on.

Sarah Ellis: And Helen and I were reflecting that we have both worked with people who I think their starting point is that problems are actually almost not problems.  Problems are something that are interesting, they're intriguing, they're an opportunity to do something different.  And that might sound hard at times because they're also frustrating and annoying.  But I think if you can see problem-solving as, "Oh, there's a lot I can learn from this.  Oh, I'd not anticipated this, so maybe I'm going to get to work with some different people, I'm going to challenge myself in a new way", our starting point of, "How do we see solving problems?  Is that a good thing", like we're going to learn, we're going to stretch ourselves, or is it something where we're like, "Oh, not another problem", I think it's just worth knowing the narrative that runs through your head when a problem comes your way.  And inevitably, if you've had a lot of problems, I do think there's a tipping point where you're like, "That's enough problems for one week now". 

But generally, I think, now often when a problem comes our way in the company that we run, I will often think, "Oh, okay", I try to start with that, "Oh, this is interesting".  I try not to just get the emotions that are more sort of angry and annoyed.

Helen Tupper: I feel like you have to get the frustration out sometimes, just get that bit out.  But then, I often think that problems are a reason for us to come together.  So, Sarah and I will often work sort of independently trying to get things done, but when there's a problem, it's like, "Actually, we need to do this together".  So, sometimes they're an opportunity for us to connect and talk things through.  So, it's not that I want to create problems for that, but I do value the connection that we get from them. 

Sarah Ellis: And I think often when we come together, you see our different styles of problem-solving.  And I think it's worth knowing, what do you bring to problem solving?  How can your strengths connect to solving problems?  And one of the things that I found really useful is this idea of minimum viable progress.  So, when you're solving a problem, I'm always quite tempted to stay with solving for quite a long time.  I like completeness, I want to think it through properly, and I want to shape the solution so all the pieces of the puzzle feel right and sorted.  And then I can go, "Oh, good, solved.  Presented the solution to that problem".  But I think the reality is, problems are messy and unstructured and you never solve all of a problem all at the same time. 

So, I've learned that the best approach to problem solving is like, "What can I do quick?  What can I do fast?  How can I prototype some sort of solution to share with someone else?"  Because, I think you very rarely solve problems brilliantly all by yourself, or I don't, maybe it's just me, but I don't.  But I think if you can do something, you've got to kind of figure out for yourself first what you think, how you might go about unravelling this problem or making progress; but what could you create in a way where you can get some fast feedback, where you can say to somebody, who maybe could be a sounding board for you, "I've got this problem, I can sort of see three or four potential solutions, I'd love to get your fast feedback on them".  And that sort of minimum viable progress, that's a bit of a mantra I have in mind every time I try to solve a problem.

Helen Tupper: I think my idea for action here is, I think it's connected to managing your ego.  So, rather than wanting to be seen as like the saviour, you know, the problem saviour -- 

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, "I've solved it!"

Helen Tupper: Yeah, I think problem-solving is very different to being the problem saviour.  So, the problem saviour is like, "This is my idea.  I think we should do it.  Ta-da, it's done".  And I think it might not be the best idea, and you might not also have everyone else's buy-in.  So, I actually think the skill of problem-solving is more about being flexible with your fix.  So, what I am willing to do is be like, "Okay, this is a problem, call it what it is, it is a bit of a problem, here are some potential ways that we could solve this problem.  What do you think?"  And I think not being over-attached to your idea of how you should save this situation and being the person who puts the ideas forward, but you're flexible, I think you get more buy-in from other people, which is important because you probably can't solve this stuff on your own anyway, and I think you end up with better ideas. 

So, if I say to Sarah, "Okay, what about this?"  And Sarah's like, "Well, I don't think that's going to work".  I don't need to defend that point, because if I fight for it and Sarah's not bought into it, then it's not going to happen anyway.  So, for me, being flexible with my fix, but almost being confident enough to put some solutions forward, but not being over-attached from an ego perspective, by being seen as the saviour of the situation.

Sarah Ellis: So, what resource or person might be useful if you want to get better at problem-solving?

Helen Tupper: So, I think it's a kind of different resource than what we've talked about here, because it's a bit more tool-y.  I think ours has been a bit more, you know, be flexible, minimum viable progress, that's more of an approach.  But it's a very tool-centric book.  It's called The Decision Book.  And the reason this is useful for problem-solving is there's an awful lot of models which I think help you to put your solutions forward in quite a structured way.  It's basically a book of models and matrices, which is like --

Sarah Ellis: I imagine that really appeals to you!

Helen Tupper: -- it's kind of my dream.  But someone tagged me in a post on LinkedIn, because somebody posts a matrix every week; every week on LinkedIn they post a matrix, and I was like, "I love it already.  I don't even know what that matrix is about, but I love that there's a weekly matrix".  But if you like, it might not be the book for everybody, but I think if you like models and matrices as a way of creating clarity so that you can put your problems forward to people, I think this is a really good book to have a look at.

Sarah Ellis: So, that's the end of day 2.  Come back tomorrow for day 3, where we'll be talking about presenting.