Why can’t I solve this problem?

Have you ever worked and worked on a problem, but just couldn’t find a solution? I know I have. It is pretty frustrating. Do you know the reason that you can’t solve the problem? Often it is because you don’t have enough information about it.

The answer is to focus more on understanding the problem before you look for a solution. When I used to teach students how to program, they would come to my office with a program they could not get to work. I many cases, I suggested they put PRINT statements in so they could see more details. I probably could have figured it out for them, but I wanted them to learn how to solve problems and often the key is to get more information.

What are the ways to get more information about the problems you are working on? You might need to talk to more people. You might need to find information on the Internet. If it is a system problem you might need to engineer the system to provide you with more information.

So, if you can’t find the answer, it is probably not because you are stupid. It is more likely that you just don’t have enough information to solve it. Look for more information about the problem.

Related posts:

1. Internet Communities: Helping others solve their problems
2. Four steps to solve a problem
3. Using Webinars to Communicate Value
4. Chicken or the Egg
5. Seven useful things you can do with Twitter