How can you stay focused and motivated when dealing with complex problems?
Complex problems can be overwhelming and frustrating, especially if you are a leader who needs to make decisions and inspire others. You may feel like you are facing a maze of uncertainty, ambiguity, and multiple perspectives, with no clear direction or solution. How can you stay focused and motivated when dealing with complex problems? Here are some tips to help you cope and thrive in the face of complexity.
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Kannan AiyerChief People Officer, Luxury Retail & Hospitality Expert: Start up Advisor, Talent Management & People Strategy Leader
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Aniruddha MajumdarAuthor | Guest Speaker | Executive Leadership NLP Coach | Senior Product Manager, JP Morgan & Chase | Founder - Two.Oh!…
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Ahsan Qureshi, Ph.D.Director Human Capital | Senior HRBP & Executive | SVP | Board Executive | Sr Talent Advisor | People & Culture |…
Complex problems are not the same as complicated problems. Complicated problems have a linear cause-and-effect relationship, a predictable outcome, and a fixed set of rules. Complex problems have a nonlinear and dynamic relationship, an emergent and uncertain outcome, and a flexible and adaptive set of rules. You cannot solve complex problems with the same approach as complicated problems. You need to embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity, and be open to learning and experimenting.
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Aniruddha Majumdar
Author | Guest Speaker | Executive Leadership NLP Coach | Senior Product Manager, JP Morgan & Chase | Founder - Two.Oh! | NLP | Emotional Intelligence| Certified Professional Trainer | Licensed Behavioral Trainer
Make a decision on how the solution to the problem lights up the people involved. See them as they feel happy, Hear them as they smile and feel them as they are positively impacted. At this point you make a decision to solve it come what may, be curious to learn how many different approached could address the concern. What is still holding you back? Write it down. What can you do today make a little progress? Repeat until you see a joy in their eyes, and hear them smile.
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Ronda Cobb, BSME
"Done For You" Debt Resolution Services For Medical & Credit Card Debt | Financial Literacy iCourse | Wealth Creation | Retirement Plans |
The more complex the issue, the smaller the pieces to resolve it. Think of a puzzle: is it a simple 100 piece puzzle or a complex 750 piece puzzle? One takes a few hours to complete while the other takes a few days or more. Break the complex problem into sections, then organize the sections into chronological order. Tackle first things first and so on. Hint: usually the first thing is deciding who is involved in the solution to the problem and assembling them physically, virtually, or both as a working group.
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Dr. Michael Mladjenovic
Founding Partner at The Sensei Group
Problems classification is the function of an individual, team, or society capability level to deal with a specific type of problem. Swimming with sharks may be a simple or complex problem.
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ThaiPhuong Nguyen
Retail / Wholesale Operations
The beauty of leadership is the complexity and that prove how you guide, help your team obtaining the basic knowledge to the advance know-how. The more you spend on training team the less you spend in solving the issue. If you want to have a beautiful rainbow, you must expect there must have been a big rain. So, problem line up in all business and the art of solving is to build the bridge between the team and partners for solutions. So, stay focused and implement the process to make sure all in place and executed properly and consistently, and that will help alleviating problems.
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Saurabh Tiwari
Global HR | Business Enabler | Digital Transformation | Leadership Coach
Navigating complex problems requires breaking them into smaller parts, setting achievable goals, and collaborating as a team. This approach aligns with the purpose and values of both individuals and organization, fostering a collective commitment to overcoming challenges. For instance, when teams share a common purpose and uphold shared values, it enhances motivation and leads to successful outcomes in the face of complexity. Reflecting on these guiding principles reinforces resilience and determination.
A growth mindset is the belief that you can develop your abilities and intelligence through effort, feedback, and learning. A growth mindset helps you stay focused and motivated when dealing with complex problems, because it enables you to see challenges as opportunities, failures as feedback, and feedback as fuel. A growth mindset also helps you cultivate a positive attitude, a curiosity, and a resilience that can help you overcome obstacles and setbacks.
Systemic thinking is a way of thinking that considers the whole system, not just the parts. Systemic thinking helps you deal with complex problems, because it helps you identify the interconnections, patterns, and feedback loops that shape the behavior and outcomes of the system. Systemic thinking also helps you avoid oversimplifying, jumping to conclusions, or blaming others for the problem. Instead, it helps you explore multiple perspectives, ask powerful questions, and test your assumptions.
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RESHMMA GULATI, ICF PCC Coach
ICF PCC Women Leadership Advocate | Mindfulness Facilitator | Leadership Communication Expert | Performance Coach | Corporate Wellbeing Specialist
yes, I agree its a very effective approach. It helps in understanding interconnections, identifying root causes, and considering feedback loops within a system. Complex problems creates disruption and sometimes it can lead to overthinking, frustration, threat and mistrust in the team. By fostering collaboration, adaptability, and strategic interventions, systemic thinking enhances the ability to address complex issues comprehensively and develop sustainable solutions.
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Joanna Carley
ICF-Certified Leadership Coach | Speaker | Trainer Providing people with clarity and confidence to be authentic!
We often minimize the effectiveness of "unproductive time" in our work: the time sitting in the mucky middle processing the information. The mucky middle is a great time to use the rubber duck debugging approach. Saying all those thoughts out loud helps you connect the dots. Mind maps are a fantastic tool as well, to help you connect and track the complexity of the entire system and identify connections and patterns you might miss.
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Nija Hope - MS, MBA, PCC
Helping women in managerial and leadership roles become confident investors | PCC (ICF) | EQ-i Assessor | Positive Intelligence (PQ)
Great points so far! Systemic thinking works because it identifies the boundaries, the interdependencies, the feedback loops, the non-linear relationships, the dynamic nature of the problem. For the leaders, in identifying the system "components", you get the clarity, the understanding of the whole picture of the complex problem, including the causes that add to the complexity. It also helps you connect with others who are a part of the system. This, in turn, can help reduce the overwhelm, gain collaborators, create opportunities to learn and adapt. Having a clear idea of the goal, understanding the system, and emotional intelligence can not only help you remain focused and motivated, it can help you motivate everyone else also.
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Cheryle Hays
Talent Optimization & Leadership Expert| Keynote Speaker🎤| Executive Coach Consultant & Advisor | Empowering Personal and People Success | Transforming Leaders & Teams for Success In An AI World
When dealing with complex problems, consider using a modified Strategy Diamond framework to maintain focus and motivation. This approach helps in systematically identifying and addressing different aspects of the problem. First, map out the problem's arenas to understand its scope. Then, pinpoint unique factors and resources that can aid in resolution. Strategically plan your approach, breaking down the problem into manageable parts, and prioritize them. Finally, delve into the logic behind the problem to understand its cause-and-effect dynamics. This structured method keeps you on track, ensuring a comprehensive and systematic approach to problem-solving, aligning perfectly with the need to manage energy and emotions and track effort.
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Mahboob Ashraf (Mission,Success and Happiness)
Learning-Training- Development @ 360 degree with leading edge of policies making, best fit customized training programs development and Premium Consultation for Leadership and Long lasting sustainable Business Growth
I believe, systemic thinking is more than effective, but at the same time I would like to draw your kind attention that out of the box thinking pattern is also the integral part of the systemic thinking. Systemic thinking is a way of thinking that considers the whole system, not just the parts. Systemic thinking helps you deal with complex problems, because it helps you identify the interconnections, patterns, and feedback loops that shape the behavior and outcomes of the system. Systemic thinking also helps you avoid oversimplifying, jumping to conclusions, or blaming others for the problem. Instead, it helps you explore multiple perspectives, ask powerful questions, and test your assumptions.
Complex problems cannot be solved by one person or one discipline. They require collaboration and diversity of perspectives, skills, and experiences. Collaboration helps you deal with complex problems, because it enables you to leverage the collective intelligence, creativity, and resources of others. Collaboration also helps you build trust, rapport, and support among your team and stakeholders. To collaborate effectively, you need to communicate clearly, listen actively, and co-create solutions.
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Gabriel de Benedetti
Consultant - Professional Facilitator - Trainer
Aquí quiero contribuir con la filosofía de BNI, Giver's Gain, algo así como ganar dando. Estar atento al otro aunque sea desde la pregunta, puede ser el disparador de nuevas y mejores ideas. El universo es de suma cero y buscará su balance si doy a otro mí contribución generosa y desinteresada, habrá otro que me dará la suya a mí.
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Roman Fleischhackl, MD
In der Teamzusammenarbeit ist das "fragend führen" eine wertvolle Technik. Sowohl unter Peers als auch mit Teammitgliedern. Wenn jemand mit Anliegen zu mir kommt, verzichte ich bewusst darauf, sofort Lösungen zu präsentieren. Stattdessen stelle ich Fragen, die zum Weiterdenken anregen, z.B.: - Welche Frage hast Du konkret? - Wobei kann ich Dir helfen? Diese fördern nicht nur Eigenreflexion, sondern helfen auch dabei, die Kernproblematik bewusst zu werden. Dann folgen Fragen zum Weiterdenken: - Wer ist beteiligt? - Haben andere auch diesen Eindruck? Am Ende des Austauschs frage ich: - Was war an unserem Gespräch besonders wertvoll? - Was nimmst Du mit?
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James Sila
Global Talent Management Leader and Executive Coach: A ‘Full Complement’ to individual, Team, and Organizational Goals
Indeed, our blind spots, worldviews, and experiences limit our individual perspectives. Diversity of thought and a user-centered Design Thinking mindset/approach will go a long way in interpersonal solutions. Introverts, don’t forget that you also need time for introspection 😉
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Claudia Armani
Nutrition & Health Coach, TOP10 UK Health Coach Blogs 2018 - 2023 | Taking you from yo-yo dieting to food happiness | Pilates teacher | Top LinkedIn Community Voice
Your ability to listen to different viewpoints is crucial at this stage. Remember that often complex problems are often resolved by a shift in perspective.
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Dave Brand
Professional Coach | Speaker | Public Service Leader | Emergency Manager, Firefighter, Tech Rescue Instructor | Professional Engineer
Human beings are inherently social beings, dependent upon the social support and acceptance of those around us. This is fundamentally important when we are faced with complex problems. Imagine you want to build your dream house, but you know nothing about carpentry, electrical, plumbing, or interior decorating - all you know is that you want the house to look and feel a certain way. Of course you would go out and hire the experts in each of those fields to help you achieve your vision. Solving complex problems is very similar; we need to rely on the experts who contribute their expertise to achieving the desired outcomes. This takes humility and admitting what we don't know, but allows us to become champions of solving complex problems.
Dealing with complex problems can be exhausting and stressful, both mentally and emotionally. You need to manage your energy and emotions, so that you can maintain your focus and motivation. You can manage your energy and emotions by setting realistic goals, prioritizing your tasks, taking breaks, practicing self-care, and celebrating your achievements. You can also manage your energy and emotions by acknowledging your feelings, expressing them constructively, and seeking support when needed.
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Ahsan Qureshi, Ph.D.
Director Human Capital | Senior HRBP & Executive | SVP | Board Executive | Sr Talent Advisor | People & Culture | Organizational Psychologist | Change, OD, M&A Lead | Career Coach | Human Resources Business Partner
When facing difficulty, focus and positive mindset should never be compromised. Keeping positivity will supplement your energy ✨️. Give it your best shot , positivity will give you energy
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James Sila
Global Talent Management Leader and Executive Coach: A ‘Full Complement’ to individual, Team, and Organizational Goals
Resilience is the key to navigating complexity and uncertainty! The latest in neuroscience studies indicates a number of ways to manage energy and emotions. Today’s high stakes require a ‘letting go’ and ‘rest’ which in a counterintuitive way, engage the state of flow. Not only is it relaxing but allows for clarity and avoiding the counterproductive effects of the Amygdala arrests!
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Venzo Chaar
I help managers and leaders master their emotions to attain peak performance. |🎤 Public Speaker | "The Inner Child Guy"👶
Problems will arise when we least expected. Whether work related or personal issues. There are things we can never control. But we can always choose our attitude and our response towards the problem. One way to do that is by mastering the emotional regulation game. Naming the emotion, sitting with it and letting go of the energy behind it. Stress comes from the overwhelming emotions that have been suppressed and now have come to the surface after the appearance of the complex problem.
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Claudia Armani
Nutrition & Health Coach, TOP10 UK Health Coach Blogs 2018 - 2023 | Taking you from yo-yo dieting to food happiness | Pilates teacher | Top LinkedIn Community Voice
Being able to manage your energy and attention is fundamental. Without adequate recovery, your mind cannot perform at its best. Recovery is not only "rest" but active recovery. Exercise, meditation, and creativity are all ways to "give a break" to your mind, facilitate recovery, and brainstorm new ideas.
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M. Laura Aguilar
Executive Coach & Change Management Consultant || Empowering Leaders, Transforming Culture
No subestimes el valor del apoyo profesional. En momentos desafiantes, la orientación de un coach, mentor o consejero puede marcar la diferencia. Estos expertos no solo te ofrecen perspectivas objetivas, sino también estrategias prácticas para manejar tus emociones y gestionar eficientemente tu energía. Su experiencia brinda un respaldo valioso para superar obstáculos y optimizar tu desempeño, creando un entorno propicio para el crecimiento personal y profesional.
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Goldi G.
Executive Director | Higher Education | Business Psychologist | PhD | MBA | Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma | Consultant
It’s important to break the problem into smaller more manageable tasks. Set specific goals, take breaks, and remember to celebrate small achievements to maintain motivation. By establishing a clear plan and maintaining a positive mindset this will help you stay focused on the complex problem.
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Geetanjali Pandit
Philosopher ◆ Bestselling Author & Columnist ◆ TEDx Speaker & Global Thought Leader ◆ Former CHRO The India Today Group, The Indian Express Group & Zee Media Corporation Limited
Dealing with complex problems starts with a calm mind. Arguably the more difficult thing in the midst of a complex problem! The second element is focus. Focus n a clear understanding of priorities- what is important, why is it important n when is it important. The third element is that of purposefulness. Without purpose, there can be no motivation. So the why of it - solving that complex problem is critical and important. Not being heedless or mechanical about it. The last element is that of resources - what are the resources at my disposal for the resolution. The tangible n the intangible.
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Pradeep Kumar
Lumina Learning Practitioner | Grow More Coach | EVP & Head Quadrangle (a division of InfoEdge India Ltd)
To have a "Design Thinking" approach towards a complex problem is the way forward. As a business leader it is imperative to understand that in today's ever changing business scenario - most problem statements qualify as a complex issue. Once you are able to accept the situation as it is - anxiety makes way for peace and calmness. A calm state of mind helps to approach from different vantage points which makes a problem relatively easier to solve/ address.
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Gaby Rendón - Arquitecta de Trabajos Felices
Adiós a los domingos tristes: te ayudo a diseñar un trabajo que ames | 🔔 Sígueme si buscas superar el estancamiento laboral y escuchar el llamado de tu alma
Aquello en lo que enfocamos nuestra atención crece. Por eso es tan importante dirigir nuestras energías, palabras y pensamientos sólo hacia lo que deseamos, en lugar de querer evitar, defendernos o contrarrestar aquello que no queremos que suceda, pues no haremos más que reforzarlo.
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RESHMMA GULATI, ICF PCC Coach
ICF PCC Women Leadership Advocate | Mindfulness Facilitator | Leadership Communication Expert | Performance Coach | Corporate Wellbeing Specialist
Dealing with complex problems requires a multifaceted and strategic approach that considers the dynamic nature of the challenges at hand. By integrating these considerations, individuals and organizations can navigate complexity more effectively and develop robust solutions. We have recent experience of COVID-19, innovative approaches helped organizations to thrive. I believe every set-back comes with opportunity, its depends where we are focused, towards set-back or towards opportunities
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