It’s easy to ignore the problem-solving strategy I describe in this post, but using it well can help abort disasters.
Let’s cut to the chase. It’s hard to believe one man rescued the U.S. government from an economic disaster, but it happened.
The famous American Banker, John Pierpont Morgan, in a one-man show, with his influence and genius, bailed out Uncle Sam in 1895 after 2-year of brutal economic depression. Mind-blowing, right?
But the Bailout is not the main point of this post. Instead, it focuses on JP Morgan’s best problem-solving strategy. What exactly?
Here’s how the maverick put it:
“No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.”
But what does this problem-solving strategy mean for professionals like us in this COVID-19 world? Everything.
A useful problem-solving Strategy for a COVID-19 World
The way of thinking or making decisions before the COVID-19 crisis no longer works. Therefore, to lead and face our challenges in this COVID-19 requires that we think and act differently by
- Embracing first principles thinking
- Using an outsider point of view to escape our biases
- Avoiding living on autopilot and making decisions on fast food information
- Refusing to follow best practices and copy what others do
- Embracing divergent thinking
- Not accepting and maintaining the status quo
- Creating career systems that work
Attacking complex problems by breaking them into simple elements and concrete forms is the best problem-solving strategy for a COVID-19 world.
The strategy worked in 1895. Didn’t it? The good news is it’s still applicable today.
Have questions? Shoot the CBL Team an email and check out our book: Creating Winning Career Systems. Please share this in your network.
PS: A few posts that you might have missed:
- 10 Continuous Improvement Books for Professionals Who Want to be Remarkable
- A Daily Mistake That Devalues Even Smart Professionals
- Want a Rewarding Career? Avoid this Employee Performance Appraisal Trap.
