Be a Master at Solving Problems (Part 4 of 4)
At the start of the week we touched on failing fast.
So far, you’ve figured out the “fast” part. But when problems arise, you have to be ready to create effective solutions.
When I was 8 years old, my neighbour (who was 2 years younger than me) approached me about a few bullies that were giving him trouble in the school yard. Karate Kid 3 had just been released in theatres, so I did what most Asian kids might do: I exploited the natural laws of stereotypes and, as I approached the bullies, did my best karate stance, and confidently proclaimed: “Stop bullying him, I know kung fu!”.
It worked. Problem solved. 🤷♂️
> If you want to read more of my personal experiences relating to systemic racism, click here.
Let’s oversimplify this for a moment. Defeating failure can be downsized into two steps:
Stop feeling sad about it
Figure out what to do next
The Manassa Mauler, also known as professional boxer Jack Dempsey, was known for coining, “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t”.
Like a detective, resilience in business can be characterized in a basic workflow: Assess, Ideate, and Act.
Assess
Ask questions to figure out what went wrong. How did the issue occur? Was there a breakdown in communication?
Ideate
Based on your observations, research your options and come up with actionable steps that can provide a solution to the issue at hand.
Act
Action speaks louder than words. Be decisive, and if you’ve harnessed it, trust your intuition. Create change to ensure the problem is not only solved, but also never happens again.
Does personal experience matter? Maybe. A good judge will typically come to solutions in court room scenarios based on a combination of past cases and the law. They’ll often refer to other similar cases and their outcomes in order to reach conclusions.
Sometimes, personal experience can include a level of bias that may or may not help. Keeping an open mind and continuously updating your personal experiences make for better problem solvers.
Once you’ve found a few unique ways to solve a problem or two, store them in your memory bank. Chances are you may need to refer to them in the future.
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
My college dropout colleagues were exceptionally terrible at self-starting, failing fast, and solving problems, despite some of them being somewhat entrepreneurs themselves.
While experience in the field will allow opportunities to learn these key characteristics, it’s important to note that these attributes happen on a daily basis; whether you’re bouncing back from a poor mark on an assignment, figuring out how to change a diaper, or looking to buy your first home.
If you can learn these traits in your personal life, transitioning them into your career will make you an exceptional marketer.
This Friday, we’re going to kick off 2021 by talking about building your personal brand.
Every problem has a solution. You just have to be creative enough to find it.
-Travis Kalanick
Handpicked Remote Marketing Jobs 👩💻👨💻
Director of Marketing - LoanSnap
Content and Social Manager - Shaw Communications
Your WFH Playlist 🎧
I miss my golden era of hip hop. You might not agree, but to me, the definition of “golden” is dependent on the listener, and for me, 90’s hip hop was my golden era. There’s only one producer/DJ that has consistently taken us back to New York in the 90’s, and it’s Statik Selektah. Last month, Statik released “The Balancing Act”, a timeless compilation featuring rappers from new and old: Nas to Joey Bada$$, Jack Harlow to Method Man. Plus, surprise appearances by Paul Wall and Sean Price.
Your Investments 🚀
I’m currently reading Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School by Andrew Hallam - a must read for anyone looking to get a better grasp of their finances. I really wish I had the financial discipline to read this ten years ago.
On Monday I recommended getting a TFSA if you haven’t already. If you’re looking for reliable but growth-oriented ETFs to invest in, take a look at Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (VFV.TO) BlackRock Canada iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (XQQ.TO). They’ve offered consistent gains, and after you’ve read the book above, you’ll know your savings are better invested in index funds over mutual funds.
Liked this post? Let me know by clicking the ♡ below!
Thanks for reading. If you liked this post, and you’re not yet a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Sign up for the Marketing Daily email newsletter and get the next one sent to your inbox. I publish three times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Lastly, please share Marketer Daily to your friends and family. If you’ve ever wondered What can I do to help Reggie?, that’s definitely the #1 thing—for people who enjoy this newsletter to encourage their circles to sign up as well. Many thanks!
Thanks for reading!
Reggie ✌️