I never called myself a "problem solver" until a meeting I had with a client. As he leafed through my Statement of Qualifications, he said, "What is your specialty?" I could have said structural or mining or geotechnical or any of the many areas involved in work I have done. But before I could answer, he looked up and said, "Oh, I see. You're a problem solver."
Even talking about problem solving can be complicated. The word "problem" carries so many meanings. I use the dictionary definition where a problem is defined as "a question or situation that presents uncertainty, perplexity or difficulty. And, indeed, I seem to have a rather good track record based on that definition.
"Problem-solving" is a process. And the problems come in all shapes and sizes. A situation may arise that interferes with or stops production; or unforeseen conditions arise that prevent a project from being completed or even started; or reasons for failures must be found.
Quite often, the sitution has passed through other hands before I am asked to try to solve "the problem." My goal is to help correct the situation so that production can resume, the project can get underway, the failure can be explained.
And I tackle each assignment with urgency because I recognize the tremendous costs and related problems that can occur before the situation is rectified.
What is sometimes called a "problem" may not be the actual problem. It is the symptom of a problem. And many "problems" that seem insoluble go unsolved because the difference is not understood, and the wrong questions are being asked. I sometimes compare my solution process to the way a doctor may diagnose an illness. If you go to the doctor with a stomachache, you might say the stomach ache is your problem. But the doctor considers it the symptom of a problem. He tries to locate the barriers to your feeling well; the problem causing the stomach ache.
All we know to begin with is that some thing or things have happened, and that they have had consequences. Some of these consequences may be "symptoms." Other consequences may seem inconsequential and not be noticed.
That's when I call on Mother Nature and put on my Sherlock Holmes hat. The first task is to decide just what the problem is and what questions we should be asking. What is causing the symptoms? And which symptoms are pertinent to correcting the situation? Are seemingly unimportant consequences being overlooked?
I was once asked to determine why a slope had failed. It looked as though too much earth was placed on the slope and caused the slide. That's what others had concluded. Water had spurted into the air when the slope failed. It seemed inconsequential. But there had to be a reason for the temporary geyser, and it could be connected to the slide--or again it might not be.
I focussed on the mysterious geyser--that spurt of water that was no longer evident. I learned the water had come up from an abandoned mine shaft on the slope. Subsequent investigation showed the shaft was geologically connected to a creek on higher ground several miles away. Heavy rains had filled the abandoned mine and shaft with water which was under pressure because of the creek's higher elevation. This had caused seepage from the shaft into the slope which weakened the soil. The geyser was the key to why the slope had failed.
That slope failure solution highlights a deficiency in the current focus on problem solving. Too much emphasis is placed on the obvious symptoms to the exclusion of seemingly unrelated phenomena--such as the geyser--which often hold the key. In diagnosing a problem, all observations must be accounted for --not just the symptoms. More than 30 years of experience has taught me to look for seemingly inconsequential observations accompanying the problem symptoms. The best source for such obervations is the people who are most closely involved with the situation. Unfortunately, these observations tend to get filtered out as they pass upwards in organizations. My one-man approach to solutions helps to guarantee that such clues are retained.
Once I was asked to determine why one of two identical steel mill turboblowers next to each other was vibrating excessively to the point where the vibration monitors shut it down while the other was able to operate trouble free.
Another seemingly inconsequential observation proved to be the key again. In talking with workers in the powerhouse, one commented that the vibrations became excessive on windy days. Others had dismissed this observation. They concentrated on the machine itself, looking for mechanical troubles.
Because of my Sherlock Holmes hat, I kept wondering about those windy days, and noticed the intake stack for the vibrating blower was entirely outside the building. The other turboblower's stack was indoors. The wind was causing vibrations of the stack. These vibrations were transmitted to the coupling causing misalignment. It took about three weeks to learn about the wind's effect, and about three hours to correct the "problem."
Problematic symptoms are not limited to physical conditions alone. They also occur in management systems. I learned this when I was asked to provide customized job training in marketing and computers for a firm that manufactured springs, primarily for the railroad industry.
Through interviewing plant management for symptoms, it became obvious that they were confusing sales with marketing. The rail market was drying up, but management continued to concentrate on what they perceived to be a sales problem when it was really a marketing problem. They had not looked for other markets. They suffered from a mindset based on their long relationship with the rail market. Strategic planning seemed to be needed; even to the point of what might be called breakthrough learning. They needed a jolt using off-the-wall approaches. One suggestion involved brass plating their springs for sale though interior decorators as accent pieces.
When the smoke cleared after this "crazy" idea, they began to come up with potential markets. They finally realized the need for new and different markets, saved untold dollars redirecting marketing and are still successful 10 years later even without their traditional market.
The clent who first got me thinking of myself as a "problem-solver" led me to realize that my basic approach to the art of problem solving holds techniques that can be used in every problem situation.
It also taught me that my method of operation offered additional benefits to my clients.
I work with my client as though I am a member of its staff. Indeed, during the assignment, I am a member of the staff. Although I may be 3,000 miles away, telecommunications, the fax, or email enable me to work with them as though I were just down the hall in their building. My involvement also guarantees accurate communications since I am aware of all project steps.
They also know that all their work will be done by me personally and not by others. When they hire me, they get me. Moreover, by working directly with the client's personnel, I am able to mentor them in my techniques.
I've been successful through a variety of engineering cycles--aerospace, nuclear power, mining, environmental, and hazardous waste. That accounts for my wide ranging experience.
In these days of downsized project staffs, I have learned to communicate effectively with accountants, attorneys and MBAs who now play responsible parts in managing projects. And, of course, I also speak pure engineering, mathematics, or computerese. I'm told there is also an advantage in the fact that I work alone. I have no commitment to any group insofar as implementing my solution is concerned. I can help monitor the implementation of solutions, but I do not provide the personnel or equipment to carry them out. In that way my opinions as to problem solutions are unbiased.
Some firms use me on special assignments involving areas where they lack staff personnel. And others, without technical support departments, can rely on me to help prepare and review contract documents to obtain outside services. In some cases I am called on to help control costs, maintain schedules, and assure quality in complex projects. Problem solving in this application involves preventing problems by thinking through projects in advance and preparing schedules to allow for uncertainties and in developing contingency plans.
My wide experience in federal contracts enables me to deal intelligently and economically with federal regulators.
Much of what I have learned from Mother Nature is contained in my personal library of some 2,500 volumes, some of them out of print. These help me make sure that I will not lose any technology nor reinvent any wheels.
Yes, this is a unique partnership. Just me, Mother Nature and Sherlock Holmes. It's an effective, low cost team. You can find out for yourself the next time you have a problem situation.