Recognizing and Defining a Problem

Recognizing a Problem

by Ms. Zank

​Lesson 1: Recognizing a Problem

​"We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly

disguised as insoluble problems."- John W. Gardner

​

​Lesson Summary

If you want to begin to think critically so you can solve problems,

you have to first recognize that there is a problem and decide its

importance or severity. This lesson focuses on how to do just that.

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​

Open Ended

What is a problem?

​A problem is a question or situation that calls for a solution.

​

• ​Question format: "Why do you deserve a raise more than Jackie does?"

• ​Situational Problems: John learns his coworker has been stealing profits from the company they work for: Should John tell someone this information?

​Types of Problems: Severity and Importance

​Severe Problems

Severe problems may be identified by the following characteristics:

* require immediate solutions

* may call for the involvement of others who have

more expertise than you

* result in increasingly drastic consequences the

the longer they remain unsolved

Multiple Choice

Three problems arise at work simultaneously. In what

order do you solve the following?

a. The printer in your office is down.

b. You need to finish writing a report to meet a

3:00 p.m. deadline.

c. Documents must be dropped off at the post

office by 5:00 p.m.

• a,b,c

• c,a,b

• b,a,c

• b,c,a

Multiple Choice

Which of these problems is most severe?

• a. Your professor is sick and misses class on the

  morning you are supposed to take a big

  exam.

• b. You lose track of your schedule and forget to

  study for a big exam.

• c. You can’t find one of the books you need to

  study for a big exam.

• d. The big exam is harder than you thought it

  would be and includes a section you did not

  study.

Open Ended

You invited friends over for pizza and a movie. Before they arrive, you preheat your oven to keep the pizzas warm and put the movie in the DVD player to fast forward through all of the coming attractions and advertisements. However, the DVD is damaged and will not play. As you head out to exchange the movie, you smell gas coming from the kitchen. What should you do?

Multiple Choice

Which, if any, of these problems is severe?

• a. Leo’s baby has had the sniffles for several

  days, but she doesn’t seem to have a fever.

• b. Erin discovers a hole in her favorite shirt,

  which she wants to wear that day to start at

  her new job.

• c. Will’s rent is two months past due, and he

  doesn’t have enough money to pay it.

• d. The bus company is on strike, and Sandy has

  an important interview at 3:00 p.m.

​Tip!

​Think of a problem as an opportunity to learn

something and build your self-confidence.

Every time you solve a problem, it gives you

the confidence to face the next one.

​​​Important Problems

​

Problems are considered important or unimportant in relation to one another, and according to personal priorities. That means you have to rank problems in terms of what’s most important to you. By prioritizing, you don’t deal with minor issues first, leaving

more important ones until the last minute.

Poll

Which one of these issues do you believe is the most important?

• the economy

• global warming

• healthcare

• crime

• education

Open Ended

You are planning a family vacation at a resort 800 miles from your home. Here are some of the details you will need to take care of:

1. purchase plane tickets

2. research restaurants in the area around the resort

3. make reservations at the resort

4. suspend delivery of mail and newspaper for the duration of the trip

5. find a pet sitter for your cats

In what order should you complete these tasks? Just type the number order.

​Answers: While there is room for various answers based on personal preference, here’s the most common ranking by importance:

​1. Make reservations at the resort—many places are crowded and you run the risk of having no place to stay unless you take care of this detail first.

2. Purchase plane tickets—you need to reach your destination, but if you can’t get a flight, you might decide to rent a car.

3. Find a pet sitter for your cats—this shouldn’t be difficult, but you can’t go on vacation without finding help for the cats.

4. Suspend mail and newspaper delivery a stuffed mailbox and piled-up newspapers are a sign to potential thieves that no one’s home, but you can always call a neighbor after you get to the resort to ask for help if you forget to plan ahead.

5. Research restaurants—you’ll have plenty of time after you get to the resort to read local publications and ask resort personnel. That kind of advice will probably be better than what you can research from home.

​The Cost of Problem Solving

​When you are on a budget, money is a factor in deter-

mining the importance of problems. If two or more

problems require a payment to solve and you do not

have the money available to take care of everything at

once, you will need to determine what needs attention

first and what can wait.

Open Ended

Perhaps you find that your car needs a new muffler the

day before you were going to take your air conditioner

in to be repaired. You do not have the money to do

both right now. Make a list of the reasons why you should either get the muffler fixed first or the air conditioner fixed first.

​In short...

​When you recognize that you are faced with a problem, you also recognize the need for action on your part. But that action depends on the kind of problem you are facing. Is the problem severe? If there is more

than one problem, which should be tackled first? Use your critical thinking skills to pinpoint any problem before you begin to anticipate a solution.