Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
Problem-SolvingSolving problems outside your comfort zoneMerlin Mann | Oct 10 2007I sometimes think that one factor in success as a business or as a human being has a lot to do with what kind of problems you're comfortable solving -- and how you get better at addressing the stuff that falls outside that comfort zone. History is littered with revolutionaries who couldn't run the country they'd overthrown, Generals who've insisted on re-fighting the last war, talented programmers who were promoted to becoming ineffective (and very unhappy) managers, and, of course, there's the countless companies that just couldn't make the leap when technology or cultural change rendered their comfy old business model moot. Seems like there's a thread here that's worth thinking about. How do you get better at knowing when you’re trying to solve the wrong problem? read more »17 Comments
POSTED IN:
Solve problems by writing a note to yourselfMerlin Mann | Feb 2 2006Dear, Merlin, For someone so fond of lecturing other people about their problems, I have a lot of annoying tics (I mean, duh). One of my worst, at least back in the day, was seldom bothering to RTFM before demanding lots of time-consuming help from others. For years, my court of first resort was almost always to email the smartest, often busiest person I knew about a given topic, alerting them as to their new role as the speed bump between me and solving my problem (cf: the classic Balloon joke). I've gotten better at it over the years, for sure, and, in the age of Google, it's a habit that's easy enough to shed. The funny thing I eventually realized was that I could and often did find the solution to my problem -- part way through writing the email in which I was asking for help. I realize this sounds kind of silly, but the next time you're having trouble figuring something out, try writing a note to yourself. read more »POSTED IN:
|
|
| EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |
