Solving the Wrought Iron Rat's Nest
I like puzzles. Especially, a “tavern puzzle” crafted of wrought iron twisted and bent upon itself, and then intertwined with another piece. The goal is simple: Extract the one piece from the other. It’s the “doing” that’s perceived as daunting and I’ve had friends wave off even trying to solve such a complicated-looking conundrum.
In just the same way, I’ve seen very capable managers dodge leadership and project challenges because the doing looks too tough, or too unusual, or too far afield from what they’ve done before. Or else they rattle the situation around a bit to see if it will solve itself and then, if it doesn’t, confirm the situation as intractable and cobble together a work-around.
The key to the puzzle is a position of perception: There is a solution.
For example, I KNOW this cantankerous, obstinate metal ring will untangle from this wrought iron rat’s nest. I know there is some way to get turf-sensitive Department A and belligerent Department B to cooperatively achieve this market-changing goal.
I just don’t know how … yet.
If you look closely at my tavern puzzles, you’ll notice shiny spots in the crooks and bends where I time and again slid that metal ring along the wrought iron trying one idea after another; winnowing down the possibilities. There is a solution, usually something unexpected, unusual and, before now, untried.
Did you notice, though, that once you solve the challenge, you can much more easily do so again and again and again, even where others still cannot? A career skill differentiator. What challenge have you solved into a skill?
In my tavern puzzle collection is one called “The Treble Clef.” I worked that puzzle for days, trying this and that to no avail, until I finally solved it. “Check.” I knew how to solve that puzzle … and now I’m told “Treble Clef” has two solutions.
Interesting.
I wonder what happens if I go around this way …
