GETTING YOUR APPROACH RIGHT

My focus in the last post was to identify the typical and conventional ways we commonly approach problems which are not only wrong and do not work, but often makes things worse. If how we approach a problem is central to effectively solving problems, then the question before us is precisely that: In terms of effective problem-solving, what are the best ways to approach a problem?

1\) Ask lots of questions. This is first and foremost. One of the biggest problems with problems is that we tend to accept them as they are presented to us. Mistake! Always question the presenting problem with the most fundamental questions. Do that first of all to ground the problem empirically. Without doing this your conversation can float around in the meta-atmosphere of vagueness and ambiguity in such a way that you will never find an answer. A key benefit of questioning the problem is that you will get to a well-formed definition of the problem. For that, use the Well-Formed Problem Questions [see Creative Solutions, 2017].

When is it a problem? Where does it occur? With whom does it occur? How do you know it is a problem? It stops you from achieving what goal?

2) Ask lots of meta-questions to probe the insides of the problem. Knowing that a problem is always “a way of thinking” and that it involves multiple levels of thoughts, once you get the problem married to reality, ask meta-questions to enter into the person’s mind (his meta place) where he has constructed the problem. Doing this will prevent you from attempting to solve the wrong problem, especially some external condition or a personal symptom [see Meta Place, 2024].

What is the thinking you used to create this problem? What do you believe about X (the empirical condition, event, situation)? What do you understand about it?

3) Sequence the thinking steps of the problem. Because every experience has a structure, our questions can call out and identify what we think and how we think which creates the problem. By embracing ‘the problem’ as the person’s subjective experience, you can begin to ask a whole series of strategy questions and thereby gain a deeper understanding of how the problem operates [see Thinking Strategically, 2025].

“How specifically do you create this problem? If you were to teach me to have this problem, what would I need to think, believe, say, or do and in what order?”

4) Experiment with the problem. There’s another benefit to embracing the problem rather than rejecting it or jumping in and trying to make it go away. That benefit is that as you can begin to play with it, it will reveal its inner meanings and structures. Here as you can induce the person to try on different perspectives, you can discover hidden features of the problem. This will be especially productive as you identify metaphors that the person uses to define and/or express the problem [see Thinking Metaphorically, 2021].

Imagine for a moment life without the problem, what would that be like? How would you go about your job? Imagine what you would do if you discovered that the problem, rather than being a problem, is actually the solution.

5) Identify the purpose of the problem. Given that behind every behavior is a positive intention (a basic NLP presupposition), explore the possible positive intentions in having the problem and/or its symptoms. You will completely miss this aspect if you think that problems are globally bad and should be eliminated. You won’t even ask the meta-questions about intention and purpose.

If there was a positive intention or value in the problem or its symptoms, what would that positive purpose be?

6) Brainstorm multiple possibilities as solutions to the problem. Typically, there are many possible solutions to any given problem. These depend on the various features of the problem and how the problem works. You could change the meaning and/or the language of the problem. You could update the strategy for how to do X in the first place. You could distinguish new distinctions that will give birth to a new plan. You could re-prioritize your values and see how that changes the problem. You could add all sorts of personal resources and note how they change the problem and lead to solutions.

What are some of the possibilities for solving this problem?

Because Neuro-Semantics provides lots of ways of approaching a problem, it enables you to adopt an optimistic, “I love to solve problems” attitude. From there, you might even come to appreciate and love problems themselves. You might come to realize that problems challenge us making us come alive by giving us a focus for directing our energies. And with that love-to-solve problems attitude, you will find your abilities to solve problems will grow by leaps and bounds. How’s your approach to problems? What great problems will you tackle in 2026?