{"id":3406,"date":"2021-06-28T01:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T06:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/?p=3406"},"modified":"2021-05-05T07:20:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T12:20:07","slug":"solution-probleming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/2021\/06\/solution-probleming\/","title":{"rendered":"Solution Probleming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Dwayne Phillips<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we find a small shiny object that we R E A L L Y want. Then we go about finding problems that it will solve. Yikes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the traditional or accepted way to solve a problem: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. State the problem<\/li>
  2. State several solutions to the problem<\/li>
  3. Pick the “best” solution<\/li>
  4. Go back to step 1. and think some more<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    That is called “problem solving.” We have a problem; we seek a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then there is “solution probleming.” I was surprised to find that I have not written about this topic before. The phrase comes from the good old book “Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really Is” by Donald C. Gause and Gerald M. Weinberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In solution probleming, we begin with something that we like. We R E A L L Y like it. It may be expensive, but no matter, we R E A L L Y like it. Now we need to justify this thing we R E A L L Y like. We follow a procedure that is something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. See some thing that we R E A L L Y like<\/li>
    2. Find a problem that this thing solves<\/li>
    3. Repeat step 2. a bunch of times<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      There. We found a solution. Then we found problems. We were “solution probleming.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The major problem with this method is that sometimes it works. Once in a great while it works and it is spectacular. WOW! We tend to recall that once in a great while event and give it enough weight that we justify this method for just about everything just about everyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sorry. The method doesn’t work often. That means it doesn’t work with the small shiny object I saw this morning and I know it will solve a bunch of problems in my life and give me enough time to list all those problems and build a justification for this and all will be great no matter what the cost and…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sorry. It doesn’t work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we find a small shiny object that we R E A L L Y want. Then we go about finding problems that it will solve. Yikes. Here is the traditional or accepted way to solve a problem: State the problem State several solutions to the problem Pick the “best” solution Go […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,53,42,59],"tags":[135,174,164,179],"class_list":["post-3406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-design","category-problems","category-process","category-requirements","tag-design","tag-problems","tag-process","tag-requirements"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3407,"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3406\/revisions\/3407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwaynephillips.net\/workingup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}