parenting

5 simple ideas to improve your problem-solving skills

Sarah · Apr 20, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Problem-solving skills. They’re critical. And yet, how often do we think through how we can improve our skills? Not often? Well, let’s change that.

Let’s examine 5 simple ideas to improve your problem-solving skills at work and in life, courtesy of a recent pediatrician visit.

I have a child with off and on constipation issues. I know, I know. I talk about poop too often. I promise there is a point. Also, I have boys. They are 4 and 6. Poop is a common topic of conversation. (Fellow parents, are you with me?!)

Recently, the issue was severe enough that we checked in with the pediatrician to see what else we could do to solve the problem.

The visit included the usual advice:

Pay attention to diet.
Use something drastic to get the pipes moving again.
And…set a schedule for consistency. It doesn’t matter if the act is successful or not, reward the consistent effort.

We also learned that with chronic issues, it can take several months for things to get fully back to normal.

It struck me how well these same tips apply to most of the common challenges we face in life and in our work.

We can use these ideas for broad solutions across most areas of life, not solely bodily functions.

Keep reading for five simple ideas to improve your problem-solving skills at work and at home.

How to improve problem-solving skills

1. Pay attention to input.

Are the inputs helping or hurting the problem? Do you need to include additional people in a conversation or decision-making process? Are there too many people involved? Do you have the right information? Are you asking the right questions?

Having the right inputs can make a project infinitely easier. The wrong inputs can make a project impossible to complete.

2. Take extreme measures to reset when you’ve got an acute problem.

For many challenges, baby steps make enough of a difference. But sometimes we need to use extreme measures to hit reset. This is one reason crash diets are so popular.

In your work, do you need to stop doing something (or multiple somethings) completely to give focus to a priority? Or completely change the team working on a problem?

Maybe the solution is a completely new process, system or tool.

Extreme measures can feel risky, but have potential for big payoff.

3. Be consistent. Build a habit.

Whether the solution is a drastic change or baby steps, be consistent in your implementation of the new approach. If it’s something time bound, set a timer or calendar reminder.

You can also consider finding a trigger action. For example, one trigger could be that after every meeting, you send out meeting notes immediately.

4. When the outcome is out of your control, reward the effort. (When needed, bribe.)

There are times that no matter how much effort we put in, the outcome is our of our control. In those instances, consistent effort and habit creation is worth rewarding.

Ultimately, consistent execution of the right actions will produce results.

5. Recognize that lasting change takes time.

While consistent application of be right action produces results, there’s no guarantee those results will come quickly. It’s important to recognize that lasting change takes time.

By rewarding consistent action, you ensure that you stick with it long enough to produce results.

Applying these simple ideas as a framework to improve problem-solving skills can immediately improve your success rate.

What challenge are you facing today? Which idea will you implement? Try one (or more!) of these ideas out. Then email me and let me know how it went!

The importance of process: A potty training case study

Sarah · Nov 6, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This could be alternately titled, “The importance of process: A potty training case study.”

I found this photo in a daycare classroom. “I can go potty.”

This graphic outlines the 12 steps to going to the bathroom.

Go to the potty (i.e. toilet)
Pull pants down
Pull down pull-up
Go to bathroom
Get toilet paper
Get a wipe
Wipe
Pull up pullup
Pull pants up
Flush
Go to sink
Turn on water

This may be the most simple implementation of a process checklist I’ve seen. Yes, I know, parents, you’re likely groaning as you think of potty training. Non-parents, you may think I’m crazy, but stick with me. I promise there’s good stuff ahead.

The steps above clearly lay out a repeatable system for any child to use the restroom. They also teach us several key principles about process implementation, systems and checklists that can be applied broadly. Let’s explore:

4 Key Principles of Process and Checklists

1. Process exists in every single aspect of our daily lives.

Process is everywhere, not just in our work environment. We talk more about routines at home than we do about process, but it’s the same thing. It’s not scary, it’s routine.

This potty training example is clearly an effective tool for teaching young children to go to the bathroom. It breaks the process down into manageable steps. It’s repeatable. It’s picture oriented, which is age-appropriate.

2. Every process has room for improvement.

The reasons a process needs improvement vary. Some processes need more clarity to be easier to follow. Some processes could be more efficient by cutting out unnecessary steps. Some processes need revision because the process, technology or inputs have changed.

While our potty training example clearly has proven effective in the environment it’s used in, there are a few improvements that could be made:

From a clarification and easier to follow standpoint, I would recommend that the “get toilet paper” and “get a wipe” steps be an either/or, not one following the other.

Also for clarity, I would edit “pull up” to read “pull up or underwear.”

To complete the process, the remaining steps to washing hands should be added.

Edits based on technology changes even apply to this example. Older versions would have existed before pull ups were invented and likely read “pull down your plastic pants.”

3. The level of detail in any given process naturally changes based on our experience level.

As toddlers, a 12 step process for going potty is not only helpful, it’s essential. Grade school aged children don’t need a 12 step process for going potty. The do typically still need reminders – or a process – to spell out a morning routine in detail. For example, a grade school morning checklist might include:

Go potty
Get dressed
Brush your teeth
Brush your hair
Make your bed
Eat breakfast

(Side note: Our kids, ages 4 and 6, love the morning and evening routine checklists from the Kids’s Responsibility & Money Management Kit.)

As adults, our morning getting ready process may be as simple as “Get up and get ready for the day.” At this stage, the elements that we add to the process that need reminders typically aren’t going to the bathroom, showering or getting dressed. The process reminders are more along the lines of “get up early to have some quiet time, workout, or accomplish a specific goal.”

4. Clear, repeatable process gives us the freedom to do our best work.

The child who doesn’t need to think about how to go potty can quickly accomplish the task and get back to the more important things like playing.

As adults, everything we do has an underlying routine or process. Yes, it’s harder to find the underlying routine or framework in some situations, but it’s always there. Even the most creative work can be broken down into an idea, a starting point, doing the work and wrapping it up. Process and systems absolutely should have the fluidity to match the situation.

Take Action:

We’ve learned that process, systems and checklists matter. Checklists take the guesswork out of any repeatable work that gets done – regardless of how mundane, critical, low-key or high stress that work is.

What can you create a checklist for today?

If this is your first checklist, find an area that works fairly well, but one little thing tends to get forgotten or not go quite right.

1. Write down all the steps that need to happen to get the work done.

2. Test the steps. Run through the checklist, doing the work exactly as written. Did what you wrote down capture everything correctly? Typically a trial run reveals at least one area that was missed or needs to be further clarified. Make those edits (Bonus points if you have someone else not familiar with the process that can test the checklist for you.)

3. Save or post the checklist somewhere prominent, and use it every time the process is done.

Now that you have the tools you need to create your own process checklist, I would love to know you take action and make it work for you. Send me an email at sarah@strategysarah.com and let me know how it’s working!

How do you relieve stress? (plus four keys to getting stress levels under control)

Sarah · Dec 13, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Last week was one of those weeks. You know, the ones where it seems like anything that can go wrong will.

There was nothing truly major; it was just one thing after another after another.

We had:

A stomach flu (which included a day out of daycare and parents trading off childcare based on who had meetings at what time)
A case of pink eye (which necessitated a first-thing-in-the-morning urgent care visit. Also, did you know that there are non-contagious strains of pink eye? Me either, but I sure was grateful mine was one of those!)
Forms, updates and billing challenges with health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, and medical bills (with the usual array of endless paperwork, red tape and back-and-forth phone calls)
Signed papers for our new house, which officially closes next Tuesday (see: endless paperwork)
Then there were the Christmas parties (two one of us attended, two more that were skipped)
Normal home life (see: terrible two’s in full swing, and why didn’t anyone warn me that age four is harder than age two? Also, #kidsnotsleeping)
And slightly-busier-than-typical work weeks

On top of that there was the endless rain, and with it, the worse-than-normal traffic that I didn’t adequately prepare for. Then the fun experiences like calling an office that should have been open, only to find out they weren’t when I had planned around getting phone calls done in a certain time frame and other small annoyances that added up quickly.

Monday brought the greatest December 24-hour rainfall on record in Portland with 3.32 inches in a day. My attitude felt like the weather outside.

I’d love to say that I handled it all with grace and perspective.

I didn’t.

I found myself stressed, tense enough that I was feeling physical pain and grumpy angry enough that I wasn’t all that pleasant to be around (Sorry, Charles).

By about Wednesday, I was calm enough to think, “Hmm, I clearly can’t control how my week is going, but I need to get my stress levels under control regardless of the circumstances!”

Four Ways to Get Stress Levels Under Control

1. Acknowledge that it’s hard – without any caveats – and then move on.

Please tell me I’m not the only one that needs to start here. If I don’t acknowledge what’s difficult in my life, and attempt to go straight to “Well, others have it worse off,” I just get angrier. Especially if it’s someone else trying to rush me along. Don’t make me feel like what I’m experiencing isn’t real. Are there times I need to buck up and get over it? Of course. But typically in the middle of it isn’t the best time to address that.
Note: There’s a difference between acknowledging something is hard to yourself or another trusted person and whining, complaining or wallowing in it. Also, acknowledging your own hard doesn’t minimize anyone else’s hard.

2. Recognize what triggers you.

Take a step back and look at the big picture. What’s really stressing you out? There are some obvious stress triggers that affect most of us: lack of sleep, poor nutrition, money.

Then there are stressors that may be huge for one personality type and non-existent for others. Know your personality and recognize what triggers you – so that you can do something about it.

Time stresses me out. Being on time specifically. Being late due to traffic, poor planning on my part, toddler tantrums, meetings that started late, meetings that ended late, or any other reason makes my neck knot up faster than you can say, “Merry Christmas.” I know this about myself.

Knowing this doesn’t prevent the stress, but it does help me to plan around it. How much earlier should I plan to leave the house to account for traffic and kids? (Then take that buffer time estimate and double it). What meetings can I reschedule in anticipation of others running late?

3. Take a deep breath and cut out the non-essentials.

There were a few moments where there was nothing I could stop doing in that moment – but I could stop and take a few deep breaths.

Lack of sleep and lack of health meant my energy levels were low – and entirely used up on getting the essentials done. My eyes hurt, my body ached and I was exhausted. I let Charles take over as much of the home front as possible, let the laundry, dishes and emails pile up, and went to bed early.

The two Christmas parties that were skipped were work parties of mine. I would have liked to go, and it likely would have been good professionally to be there. But they weren’t essential.

4. Find reasons to be thankful.

There’s a reason gratitude journals are so popular – intentionally focusing on being thankful and positive works. It took me a day or two longer than it should have to get to this point, but it really is true. All of our health concerns are minor. We have insurance – of all kinds. The hospital bill is from an injury Charlie fully recovered from. I am fully recovered from the auto accident. We didn’t have any flooding with the major rains this week, and we each had at least one co-worker who did. I truly do have much to be thankful for.

How do you get your stress levels under control? Any additional tips for me?

Save time, keep the kids asleep and still drink gourmet coffee

Sarah · Oct 13, 2015 · 2 Comments

Peaceful minutes to linger, sip and read a good book. Or simply sit without anyone needing anything.

The peace and calm that comes with the smell of fresh coffee and a cozy, quiet house really can’t be beat.

Oh, wait. I have small children. Who happen to be extremely light sleepers in the morning.

I’m an outgoing introvert, and doing without that peace and quiet is not good for me – or my family. I also have a deep love of coffee.

What’s a busy mom to do?

Typically, I grind fresh beans and then use the espresso machine to make an awesome Americanos or a latte.

Getting up early specifically for extra work/quiet time and then having them wake up to my making coffee defeats the purpose. So does skipping the coffee in favor of silence.

The solution:

Pre-grind the coffee* the night before (Yes, I am giving up some quality here. It’s worth it. And if you’re less of a snob than I am, this isn’t an issue).
Use an AeroPress for silent coffee creation.
Drink and enjoy pure coffee bliss.

*We love Stumptown Coffee, even if they did sell out to Peet’s and are no longer hipster-cool here in Portland.

I’d read a few reviews of the AeroPress over the years, and was admittedly skeptical. When my french press bit the dust (i.e. cracked and shattered), and I was tired of drinking poor quality instant coffee, I made the leap. I only wish I had done it sooner.

As one of my friends said,

This is the best coffee I’ve ever had at home.”

Yes, yes it absolutely is.

Alternatives if you’re less of a coffee snob than I am:

Use a traditional drip brewer with an automatic timer. (Does this make anyone else think of ‘90s Folgers commercials?)
Use a french press.
Use a Chemex or other pour over method.

But really, you can skip the above alternatives and just get an AeroPress.

(Yes, that’s an affiliate link. No, nobody paid me to talk about the AeroPress. I really am that in love with it.)

What’s your favorite coffee and method of brewing?

This post is part of 31 Timesaving Tools, Tips & Templates, read the rest of the series here.

Why customer service is critical

Sarah · Feb 3, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Alternately titled: Why I love Costco. And why I almost didn’t love Costco anymore. All because of customer service.

Let me preface this with the fact that I love Costco, have been a member my entire adult life, and many many have fond childhood memories of long Costco trips with lots of samples. My family is notorious among my friends for being an extreme Costco loving family.

I made special trip to Costco for diapers today. It wasn’t totally out of my way, but diapers were the only reason I went today rather than a more convenient time next week. For the first time ever, they were out of Kirkland Signature diapers in our size.

The alternative was a new-to-us upgraded version of Huggies. That cost a full $8 more than the Kirkland Signature – for the same sized box. Yikes!

My options, as I saw them:

Grab a box of more-expensive Huggies and ask if a) there were more Kirkland Signature diapers somewhere I missed or b) if they would price match.
Not bother asking, and pay for the more expensive diapers.
Not bother asking, and make another stop at the regular grocery store for store-brand diapers.

Option 1 seemed the most logical. Option 2 wasn’t an option I could bring myself to do. That’s a chunk of change, and the type of thing that gets me on principle even if we did have wiggle room in our budget. Option 3 seemed exhausting and an option to avoid if at all possible (see: two toddlers).

At the check stand, I asked if there were diapers somewhere I had missed, and about price matching otherwise. The person boxing groceries (whose name tag also read “Supervisor”) went to check.

Sure enough, the diapers were on back order. And no, they couldn’t price match.

I commented that I expected more from Costco’s customer service. I asked if any other locations had diapers, naming my next closest location. It would be another trip, but I could hold off a day or two and make it work if I needed to.

Nope, the only location that has diapers is a good 40 minutes from our house the opposite direction. And when I clarified again that that didn’t work for me location wise, and was there anything they could do for me, I was told again, nope, sorry.

Resigned to a trip to the grocery store for cheapo diapers to last until Costco re-stocks, I figured it would be worth swinging by Member Services and asking about a complaint form. I proceeded to share what had happened, and Rachel became my new hero.

Actually, first she just handed me a form to fill out, then as I was starting to fill out the form, we were casually chatting. I mentioned how long I’d been a Costco member, she asked me what had happened. I told her. She said she was going to go check something. A few minutes later, she came back – with a $20 Costco gift card. I told her that definitely wasn’t necessary, I wasn’t looking for a handout. She then offered to have someone go get a box of diapers for me, ring them up, and use the gift card toward them.

Um, well, if you insist. Give me what I came for originally, at a deal and save me a trip to another store? Why, yes and yes.

I was tempted to give her a hug. I resisted. Instead, we came home with diapers, our budget and my heart both a little happier.

The moral(s) of the story:

It always pays to ask politely. And ask again, respectfully, if you get an unreasonable answer.
Customer service up front can save a company money – as well as loyalty. Had the front line supervisor agreed to price match, my frustration would have been avoided, and the company would have saved $12. And what if I hadn’t gone to customer service to give feedback? I would have shared my frustration with Costco with at least one person (hopefully I wouldn’t have let it get to me too much, although this is the type of thing that has been known to drive me batty. Sorry real life friends and Facebook friends. I’m working on it.)
No matter what your job or business is, customer service matters. Providing excellent customer service the first time around not only leads to loyal customers, but is likely to save the company money in the long run. In this case, Costco would have been $12 richer by agreeing to my initial (seemingly logical) first request.

PS – Am I the only one that thinks it’s slightly odd that the only time in three years I have seen a Costco diaper outage just happens to be the first time there is a more expensive alternative? I’m really hoping that was random coincidence, although the cynic in me is slightly skeptical.

What would you have done in this situation? Do you have an example of customer service making or breaking a brand or store loyalty?