Problem-solving is a technique that I encourage
people to use to help them cope with problems. Many times, when we have
a problem that keeps happening or one that we can't seem to resolve, we
get "stuck." Basically, we have maybe one or two solutions that we try
and when they don't work, we give up. The problem-solving technique is
designed to help you come up with many possible solutions and to
then evaluate the solutions. Oftentimes, what happens is that a "potential
solution" that was immediately discarded because it is believed that it
will not work turns out to be the best solution with a minor adjustment.
The problem-solving technique takes some time, and
requires you to take a step back and really think about possible solutions,
regardless of how "silly" you initially think they are. People will initially
state that the exercise takes too much time, and a solution is needed right
away. I frequently point out that the problem has been present for a while,
so why not take some time and generate several solutions that you can try
-- obviously, what you have already tried hasn't worked because the problem
is still there, so why not take the time to work on this. As you continue
to practice this technique, you will notice that it can become "second
nature" to you and you do not need to spend as much time on it. Just like
any other skill, you need to practice it repeatedly.
There are several steps to the problem-solving technique,
and YOU MUST FOLLOW THE STEPS IN THE ORDER THEY ARE PRESENTED! Most people
will try to skip steps in order to come to a quick solution. This does
not work. There are many versions of the problem-solving technique; the
one I am using was proposed by Davidson in (1982). The acronym SOLVE is
used, to help you remember the steps. Here they are:
State the problem (specifically state what the problem is)
Outline the problem (include: who, what, where, when)
List possible solutions (this is brainstorming; come up with as many as you can
WITHOUT evaluating the solutions)
eValuate possible solutions (this is when you evaluate possible solutions)
Execute best solution (try the solution you rated best; if it does not resolve the
problem, move on to the next best solution)
Alright, we have the steps, let's work through them using an example.
State the problem:
I seem to be getting tired very quickly and when I get home from work I do not have the energy to get any of the housework done. I then have tons of housework to do on the weekends.
Outline the problem:
I wake up at 6:30 a.m., off to work by 7:30 a.m. and leave work at 5 p.m. By the time I get home, it is 6 p.m. My husband also arrives home around 6 p.m. and the babysitter leaves when we get home. I then fix dinner, we eat, my husband does the dishes, and it is now 7:30 p.m. The kids go to bed by 9 p.m. and I am completely drained by that time.
List possible solutions:
Pay someone to come in at least once a week to do
the cleaning
Have husband help out more
Have kids help out
Have husband and kids help out more
Pay babysitter more money to do the cleaning
Quit work so I can do more housework
Have husband quit work and stay at home
Cut down on my hours at work
Have my husband cut down his hours at work
eValuate possible solutions:
At first, I encourage people to list
the pros (benefits) and cons (risks or costs) for EACH solution. I suggest
that people rate each pro using a scale of 1-10 (1=not much of a benefit;
10= HUGE benefit) and each con using a scale of -1 to -10 (-1 = not much
of a cost; -10 = HUGE risk or cost). You then add up the pros and cons
for each solution, and the solution with the highest number is the best
one. Yes, I know that this is going to take some time, but again, the problem
has been around for a while -- why not spend some time giving yourself
several options to choose from? We will now move on to our example, but
I want you to keep in mind that the ratings this particular individual
gives for each pro and con may be different than what you would rate it
-- that's the great thing about this exercise -- it is based on each individual's
circumstances.
| Solution | Pro (+ rating) | Con (- rating) |
| Pay someone to come in at least once a week to do the cleaning | Won't be so stressed (+8) | Will cost money (-10) |
| Overall rating: +3 | Won't be tied up on weekends (+5) | Have to worry about having someone in the house (-3) |
| The house will be clean (+10) | Trouble finding someone good (-7) | |
| Have husband help out more | House will be cleaner (+7) | He will be angry about helping out (-10) |
| Overall rating: -12 | Won't have so much work to do on the weekends (+4) | He always screws up the housework when he does it (-3) |
| He will complain alot about this (-10) | ||
| Have kids help out | I will have less to do (+5) | Kids are too young to do much (-8) |
| Overall rating: -5 | Kids will learn about responsibility (+6) | Kids need to be outside playing (-8) |
| Have husband and kids help out more | I will have less to do (+5) | They will not do things correctly and I'll have to do it anyways (-9) |
| Overall rating: -14 | Kids will be able to spend time with their father (+10) | I will feel like I am being a bad mother (-10) |
| Husband will be angry and complain about this (-10) | ||
| Pay babysitter more money to do the cleaning | Won't have to worry about finding a cleaning person (+8) | Babysitter is busy with the kids, cleaning will distract her (-7) |
| Overall rating: +1 | I will have less to do (+5) | Cost more (-5) |
| Quit work so I can do more housework | I would be able to spend more time with the kids (+10) | Money!! (-10) |
| Overall rating: -4 | I wouldn't be so tired at night (+5) | I love my job (-10) |
| The house would be cleaner (+8) | I would miss my friends at work (-10) | |
| Wouldn't have to spend so much money on a babysitter (+3) | ||
| Have husband quit work and stay at home | I might not have as much housework to do (+4) | He would never do this (-10) |
| Overall rating: -16 | Money!! (-10) | |
| Cut down on my hours at work | I could still work and see my friends (+10) | I don't think they would let me cut down my hours (-10) |
| Overall rating: -5 | I wouldn't be as tired (+5) | Money!! (-10) |
| Have my husband cut down his hours at work | I might not have as much housework to do (+4) | He would never do this (-10) |
| Overall rating: -16 | Money!! (-10) |
Execute best solution:
According to this list, "Paying someone to clean once a week" was the best solution. That solution was executed, but a cleaning person could not be found that was affordable for this couple. The woman then went back through her list and approached the babysitter with the option of doing housecleaning. The babysitter quickly accepted and has done a fine job.
If you would like, I have constructed forms that you can download to guide you through the exercise. One is in Microsoft Word format (versions 6 and up), one is in WordPerfect format (versions 6 and up) and one is in Rich Text format.
Form in Microsoft Word Format (.doc)
Form in WordPerfect Format (.wpd)
Form in Rich Text Format (.rtf)
