Many people struggle with effective problem-solving.

Effective problem-solving is influenced by many factors, especially if you are a people pleaser, are overthinking, or are stuck in indecision.

Being a people pleaser makes effective problem-solving a challenge

People pleasers make decisions based on a few thoughts:

1. Will I make the other person (people)  happy?
2. How do I do the right thing - which is usually about keeping other people happy?
3. What if people judge me and don't think I'm a good person anymore?

People pleasers often do not have the ability to effectively make decisions. When you can't make decisions, you can't effectively problem-solve.

Using a decision process help achieve effective problem-solving

Sarah uses the analogy of taking spaghetti decisions and making waffle decisions. Spaghetti decisions are multi-faceted situations, they are complex with multiple people and challenges involved. When facing spaghetti decisions, you must waffle them down. Break down the decisions by individual problems. Not all problems are the same.

When problem-solving, it is especially important to break out the emotional problem from the more tactical or strategic problem. People pleasers often have perfectionism and want to take care of everyone else first, putting themselves on the back burner so to speak.

People often block the solution for practical problems with emotional problems. In order to problem solve, you must separate the two. Sarah used the example of public speaking. You may be nervous about speaking, but you also need to figure out what to say. Two very different problems. But the emotional problem of being nervous can block the ability to figure out what to say.

Know the problem you are trying to solve

Before you can solve a problem, you have to know the problem you are trying to solve.

Instead of asking "why", ask "what problem am I trying to solve". Then ask "what problem am I really really trying to solve". And yet again, ask "what problem am I really trying to solve".

Doing this exercise will help you achieve clarity around the problem.

Information is available to us, but if we don't know the exact problem, we can find the solution.

 

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