Going It Alone
The problems we face every day can be sorted into three categories:
The problems we face every day can be sorted into three categories:
Type 1: Things you can control.
Type 2: Things you can influence.
Type 3: Everything else.
Type 1 problems are where we spend most of our time, because it’s how shit gets done. The progress is often immediate, and the results can be very satisfying. On Type 1 problems, we often work alone.
Type 2 problems are trickier. You can’t do them alone — they require working with other people. All progress gained through influence comes gradually. It can be hard to measure, and often you don’t know when you’re done. But for most leaders, the most important work you’re going to do is done this way.
Type 3 problems, ugh, they are the literal worst. You can’t fix them, because they’re beyond your control. You can’t ignore them, although we have tried. Our most-employed tactic for dealing with a Type 3 problem is usually profanity.
Lately I have come to believe that most Type 3 problems are really one or more Type 2 problems in a trench coat.
There is almost nothing that you cannot get done in the corporate world by convincing someone (or at worst, a few people) of something.
Most problems have a solution, and most solutions come in people form.
When we face difficult problems at work, we sometimes envision ourselves as a solitary predator, stalking a problem and planning our solution that we’ll eventually execute by emerging suddenly from the inky shadows. We’ll take victory by surprise, and return home proudly with the trophy after weeks unaccounted for in the bush.
The reality is that meaningful success is rarely a solo effort. One way to turn any project into a guaranteed success is to maintain a focus that’s just as concerned with a productive collaboration as it is with a successful outcome.
And it’s needn’t always be a team effort. Many problems that seem impossible become more approachable once you choose one single super parter.
Ask yourself: Is there anybody for whom my Type 3 problem is a Type 1 problem? Is there somebody who could solve this problem for me if they wanted to?
Find that person, and try to get them to want to help you. In the corporate world, it’s called influence without authority. In the rest of adult consensus reality, it’s called networking.
Even Type 1 projects that I’m capable of doing on my own will often benefit from bringing a partner along. By choosing not to work alone, we can help a junior person level up, strengthen our relationship with a peer, or open the door to a new mentor.
If you do this frequently and well enough, you might also make some new friends. And who doesn’t need more of those?
(Thanks Jennifer Gormley for sharing the idea of 3 problem types with me. And thanks for being such a great Type 2 partner for all these years!)