I have a problem but, what really is a problem?
"If I want to think out-of-the-box, I need to know exactly what the box is"
The Problem Overlaying
It probably happened to you a few times too, when I start to deal with a problem, both alone or with other people, layers start to pile up and obfuscate the sight on the real problem. One example for all: the infamous flat tire.
Drawing this was fun. I let my mind go freely :)
Then I found this post
Even though it is not specifically about flat tires or problem solving, one thing
wrote made me think.The brutal truth I didn’t want to see: If you take one step, then retreat, you’re not moving forward, you’re just moving in circles.
So,
Every single layer I add to a problem, if not addressed, makes me to move in circle
If I do not add layers I may miss some important factors
It could be that I add layers just because is what I do (we all become a Chief Drama Officer once in a while, right?)
Wait a second. Do I really know what I’m talking about? I mean, instead of looking at how problems show up, what if I try to understand the nature of a problem itself, not just the situations it represents? Here what I’m going to explore
What is, literally, a problem
How we “feel” a problem
What is a solution
What is the right solution to the real problem
What is a Problem
Easy, right? It is pretty straightforward: the condition I am now lacks of something that will make the condition ideal.
Initial state is NOT the problem, the Goal State is NOT the solution, the gap between the two IS the PROBLEM.
How we “feel” a problem
Even though, this example it’s clearly instrumental to get to my point, it is close to reality and it starts to delineate the perimeter of something we can call the Meta-Problem:
People tend to do not own problems that they don’t feel are directly caused by them
If someone is already even simply talking about a problem, the hope is that person will do the work
The action is triggered not by the real inspection of the problem (the gap) but by the immediate possibility of mitigation of the nefarious effect (the goal state)
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What is a Solution
Ok, let we do this!
Great! That said, what is the solution to which problem?
I have a problem NOW and I want the effects to stop as soon as possible!
Truly solving a problem is messy, it needs to go deep to the root causes, it opens new fronts at every step and more than often put me in front of paradoxes.
The risk is to be forced to admit what is wrong with my product, project, strategy or life.
Life is too short! I don’t want that, I just want solutions.
Nothing else.
The Meta-Problem is in there: I have a problem with solving the problem.
Let’s do something, NOW!
This is beautifully explained by
in her post
The next meeting, I just looked around, what were participants (myself included) doing? They say they are solving problems. In the majority of the cases what they do is trying to craft a plan, a sequence of steps that, if taken, will lead to some results.
A plan express certainty! Organisations, more that anything else, love having a plan, even if it’s not a solution.
What nobody wants and desperately try to avoid at all cost is the part that where they understand the right problem and find the right solution to that problem.
That because finding the right solution to the right problem is very often NOT the outcome they want. The risk is to get hurt.
Ok, now I think to have a definition for the Meta-Problem:
We have a Meta-Problem not when we avoid the real problem, but when we cover/bury it with derivative problems, justifications and arguments.
Paradoxically, a Meta-Problem reinforce our aversion to complexity by adding more layers to it, building a wall of reasoning that feels irrefutable.
More often than not, we do this because we fear the pain of seeing the truth too clearly.
The Meta-Problem Solving
The question is how I can make the process of solving a problem not a problem itself, in other words, how I can deal with a Meta-Problem.
Let me ask to MauroGPT :)
Q: Who may experience having a Meta-Problems?
A: Everybody! All the time.
Q: Is it normal? It seems concerning.
A: No, don’t worry, it can be a normal approach to problems for some people, though. It’s a defence mechanism, not as serious as an avoidance behaviour but it’s important to become aware of it as soon as we can.
Q: How do you know if you are having a Meta-Problem?
A: It is a sneaky Attention/Energy Vampire. It requires some introspection and presence to be spotted but, once we learn where to look, it’ll be easy to identify it quickly.
First, relax, and accept that we can have a Meta-Problem.
Then, if it is preventing us to start to address the real problem by piling up justifications, excuses or additional problems then we have a Meta-Problem.
If we are throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks rather than engaging in a structured reasoning, yes, we have a Meta-Problem.
If we are indulging in plausible deniability, yes, we have a Meta-Problem.
Q: What we can do when we have one?
A: First of all, we need to acknowledge it, then to understand why we’re having the meta-problem.
The good news is that it can be legit, meaning that it is not a Meta-Problem.
Or, it is triggered by laziness, fatigue, lack of motivation, disagreement with the causes of the real problem…
Hey, we are human. It can happen. When it does, we need to react.
Q: How do we cope with a Meta-Problem?
A: When we know we have a Meta-Problem, the solution is simple: we starve it.
We just divert the energy we put in feeding it into working on the real problem.
It doesn’t have to be a heroic measure! Heroic measures are one of those things that nurture the Meta-Problems.
We can start by reading an email, opening a document or just looking at the materials we have at hand. And then we regroup and make another step, and so on.
The first, even if small, step is the hardest. But it works.
Q: Is that so? Looks too easy.
A: Actually, it is. A Meta-Problem is a symptom of our discomfort or sense of inadequacy and it doesn’t necessarily depend on the magnitude or complexity of the real problem. Dissolving a Meta-Problem often requires just a bit of reasoning and, yes, humility.
Think about this: if someone you value tells you you’re acting like an idiot, your first reaction may be indignation and to reinforce your position.
But, if you can move past the sting of the insult and do a minimum of honest introspection, chances are you’ll realise you actually were acting like an idiot, and the situation resolves itself.
Q: Just to recap, can you tell me the main one I should do when dealing with a Meta-Problem?
A: Sure, stop whining and be creative. As much as it may sound like a line spat out by an AI chatbot or one of those overnight self-proclaimed coach gurus, embracing our creativity in a healthy way is probably our only real hope of salvation."
I can’t refrain myself to complete this with a quote from
postIs Creativity Still Worth It?
So is creativity still worth it?
Yes. Of course it is. Maybe more than ever. Because while the outcome can be faked, the process never can. And if we abandon the process, we’re not just abandoning creativity — we’re abandoning the very thing that makes us human in the first place.
Do you have questions for MauroGPT? Let me know.
See you next month!
Mauro
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Speaking of coffee,
PS: a kind of Colophon
Just a few words about where you can find some of the things I do/did:
Well done.
I didn't have time to read thoroughly and got to all the referenced articles.
Even a quick read yields excellent reminders or the best questions to ask.
Love the drawings.