Roots of Humility

[rob_donoghue]

I played football in my freshman year in High School. I was pretty big and crazily strong for my age, and I did decently, but for most of the season, I only did ok. I played line, and I worked really hard in practice, throwing myself at dummies, doing really terrible exercises, the whole enchilada. On the field, I could usually outmatch whoever

Comments

[rhyslin]

For what it's worth, I don't think you're alone--most people just do not think in terms of "systems". Only the simplest of problems can really be effectively handled by looking at the nearest obstacle.

I once made up a saying: In the US, "planning" is our middle name... unfortunately, like most people, we don't use it much.

(I sometimes change the first clause to fit the audience...)

So, to me, it means:
1. Know the problem you are trying solve (e.g., tackle the guy with the ball, not get past the blocker).
2. Don't fixate on a solution before coming up with many possible ones, and don't be afraid to toss out something that turns out to not work.
3. Understand the failure modes of each step of the solution--ask "what if?" about everything

At least, this has always helped me in problem solving, whether it be coding or business processes.

[rechan]

I think "idiot" and "stupid" are a little too strong in the above situation. After all, it was your position to prevent that guy from getting past you, as opposed to getting the ball. You were falling in line to block that tree, not think about the forest.

But stopping and asking if you're the idiot there is a good, good thing to do. Too many people (myself included) are more interested in being right, than being fair and honest.