We tend to think about removing a problem, like firing an ineffective employee, transferring that troublesome kid to another teacher, finding a new vendor.
Using some different ways may make life more interesting.
You can push through it, like water over a dam. You may stay up all night to complete a deadline. Barrel over your spouse’s objections to your desire to vacation in an igloo. This can be an aggressive and effective method where you may create some messiness. Decide ahead of time if the outcome merits the method.
You can ignore it. Quite often this is the most effective recourse. That ineffective employee is getting ready to leave anyway. Maybe the problem isn’t actually a problem; maybe you are holding an inappropriate or uninformed attitude.
You can go around it. This is my favorite. You can leave the problem there and ask for help. You can use the existence of the obstacle to create a better outcome. One year at the beginning of school, we didn’t have enough textbooks. Yippee! I immediately volunteered my classes, 70 students who could instead use handouts and novels. Problem solved by going around it, my students gained lighter backpacks, and I became instantly *cool.*
You can also reframe or paint over the obstacle. Give it a different look, feel, or point of view. Any examples? Share them below!