Problems, problems, and more Problems?

Dude’s wrong; he just hasn’t found the wench yet.

Until then, though, he has a number of problems, and the only way he is going to solve them is by working on them one at a time and eliminating the issue by delegation, deprioritization, process, procedure, training, or technology.

The first step is to know how to solve problems, and don’t stop learning more methods. Everyone needs a little bedtime reading to let their brain work through the REM cycle.

That’s surface-level stuff, though; once you get going, you're looking for patterns, trends, and anomalies. You need data and analysis with consistent reporting that allows you to pick and pull information that will drive decision-making and keep you on the cutting edge.

Be careful here— garbage in, garbage out. This is where process and procedure (systems) become important. Using consistent terminology, data entry and controls so you are testing single items at a time are important.

Once you have stable, consistent data, the review process can start to tell you stories that describe where you were, where you are, and where you are going.

Using automation will speed up the process and help build consistency. This could be AI or simply technology built to make things more efficient through features like accounting software auto-pulling invoice data or auto-reconciling bank accounts.

From here it’s simulation and modeling. Where does the data say you're headed?

And even then, you’re not done. Sorry, the market changed, your pricing sucks ‘cause inflation. But also the freightliner is stuck in a canal creating shortages and sending costs through the roof. Employees need raises to keep up with inflation and freight is up 300% because gas is up and oh ya, no one is going to bring their prices back down after everything settles cause it’s like a free raise if they keep it all up.

The problems won’t end, but having good data will tell you where the biggest problems lay and how to prioritize your time.

The deeper you get into running a business, the more problems you inevitably have… and if you’re doing things right, they get bigger, too.

More complex problems require more control and more steps to break down something big into smaller pieces. Similar to the first principles method, Kidlin’s Law is the process of clearly defining what the problem is.

When something is requested, break the request down into pieces. Create lists grouped by likeness. Organize the request into types of work or sequences.

Same thing with problem-solving; by doing this work, you are cleaning the request or problem to solve into manageable bits. Now you can start to ask questions where the information is missing.

But you did most of the hard work: defining the problem and giving it clarity.

The most frustrating thing in the world is talking about the same problems over and over and never getting anywhere.

Mega-fcuking-exhausting.

So something I like to throw out to the people btiching, “perhaps this is the job.” Which is another way of saying the obstacle is the way, or suck it up buttercup.

There are problems that are solvable, that you should be able to stop repeating the same baloney mistakes through proper procedure and process.

There are also problems that just are. They will repeat. That is life.

Regardless of which category you’re dealing with, getting mad or having a tantrum does not solve it. Crying won’t solve it, though it may make you feel better.

If you have a problem, recognize that the sun will rise tomorrow, decide what the best possible outcome is given the circumstances, and take action as soon as possible. Mitigate the problem or repercussions as fast as possible. There is an obligation to do the best you can with the information you have.

At the root, everything has its own set of problems to solve. Your job is not to eliminate problems, but to find the problems you like solving.

Find the shit sandwich you like eating.