The challenge of creation in a problem solving world

When I run possibility thinking workshops my opening question is obscure. "What do you get when you solve a problem?"

I was reminded of this on Wednesday when nature conspired against me. Heavy rain resulted in water pouring down the sitting room wall. The slate roof of our bay window was leaking - again.

Rain was forecast for Friday and Saturday so I busied myself removing part of the roof, fixing new felt underlay, and then fitting new slates.

And now the roof is watertight. Problem solved.

"What do you get when you solve a problem?"

What do I get by fixing the leak?

Simply the absence of that particular problem. Fact is, there was no creation. There was no new value created.

In business, problems often grab most of our attention. Don't take my word for this. Check it for yourself. Look back at your journal for September and see how much time you spent problem-solving

... and how much time you put into creating new works (of value) for yourself.

You might be surprised, or shocked, by the data.

Sometimes, because we don't take time away from problem solving, we have no idea what we want to create. If you relate to that, here's a brief exercise that can help.

Grab a cup of coffee and a comfy chair. Now, imagine it's six months from now - Spring 2021. Looking back to October 2020, what have you created during the last six months that you're most proud of?

This kind of imagineering takes practice. But, if you do it consistently you'll discover what it is you really want. And it won't be more problem-solving - unless you have a leaky roof of course.