20 Attitudes to Deal with Problems in Life and at Work

How we face problems is a determining factor for our professional success or failure. Concerning our personal life, the way we face them will significantly influence our state of mind.

From the time we get up until we go to bed, we solve problems of all kinds, from how to get out of a traffic jam to extreme cases in which the resolution of a problem can mean the difference between life and death, either our own, or that of others.

On April 13, 1970, at 9:08 p.m., Apollo 13 crewmember Jack Swigert, just after observing a warning light accompanied by a burst, uttered the well-known phrase: “Ok, Houston, we’ve had a problem here“.

This famous phrase, misreported as “Huston, we have a problem”, is the phrase that sums up an eventful journey in which the ability to solve problems as a team managed to bring the Apollo 13 crew alive.

Other examples of heroes, and good teamwork, are the emergency landings of the pilots:

• Tammie Jo Shults, the Southwest Airlines plane pilot, managed to land the plane with an engine failure and a hole in the fuselage.
• Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger landed a US Airways plane on the Hudson River off Manhattan in 2009 after a bird accident.

Problem-solving can save lives, but businesses and customers as well.

Five steps to solve a problem

Our brain to solve a problem follows the following steps:

• Discovery
• Decision to address it
• Understanding
• Research the options available for resolution
• Decision making for its resolution

Before attempting to solve a problem, its exact nature must be understood since if the precise nature of the problem is not understood precisely, its resolution will not be adequate.

Five obstacles to solving a problem

In solving a problem, we can find the following obstacles, which can make it challenging to solve: Consider that problems can only be solved in their usual way. This prevents you from seeing all the available options to find a solution. The phrase “we have always done it this way here” is devastating.

Irrelevant or misleading information: Irrelevant or deceptive data can lead to wrong solutions.

Existence of prejudices: Assumptions about certain constraints and obstacles can make finding the optimal solution to a problem difficult.

Lack of emotional intelligence: This concept developed by Goldman defines, among other aspects, how we respond to problems that may arise since when it comes to solving them, the control of emotions is critical.

Lack of empathy: When there are problems between people, the lack of kindness can be a severe obstacle to finding a solution.

20 attitudes that can be adopted when faced with a problem

When faced with a problem, different perspectives can be adopted:

1. Some like to solve problems.
2. Some like to help solve the problems of others.
3. Although they do not like problems, some have to solve them out of necessity.
4. Others, when trying to solve the problems, create more problems. This sometimes happens due to ignorance and daring. olving certain problems requires one to have a certain degree of training and/or experience. Being aware of our ignorance is key to successfully solving a problem. “The true wisdom is to recognize one’s own ignorance” (Socrates).
5. Some create a problem where there is none to solve later and hang medals.
6. Some do not see the problems, even if they have them right under their noses.
7. Some blame others by holding them responsible for their problems.
8. Others see problems everywhere, even when there is no problem at all.
9. And others are the problem personified, toxic people who are creating issues everywhere.
10. Some flee from problems, unable or unwilling to solve them.
11. Some are specialists in covering up problems so that others do not see them.
12. But also those who seek trouble, these are the specialists in getting into trouble.
13. There are also those that when someone detects a problem, they ignore it, and if they can, they kill the messenger. herefore, they think the problem is over.
14. Some do not know how to react to problems.
15. However, others grow up in the face of problems and give the best of themselves.
16. Some prefer that others solve their problems.
17. Some hope that problems will solve themselves, and sometimes they are lucky since time and events can solve a problem. In addition, in its favour, it must be said that. If you do not know how to solve it, it is always better to do nothing about a problem than aggravating it.
18. Some live in permanent trouble.
19. Some, in order not to face the problems, put something in the middle.
20. However, the most severe case is those who, unable to solve their problems, attempt on their lives and commit suicide.

Problems define us as a human species. The wheel was invented to solve a problem, and so was a parachute.

The attitude towards problems is what defines us as people and professionals. We must try to face problems naturally since they are part of human nature.

With Personal Mastery, you can enhance your capability to deal with the problems by growing perspective, learning and transforming your mind to see and create positive values in your life.