Recently I had the good fortune to spend 40 minutes with Dan Roam, author of the great new book The Back of the Napkin. It’s quickly become one of my favorite books, for it changed the way I think about problem solving and helped me look at things in a new way.
GOOD NEWS: You do NOT need to be an artist to use Dan’s great style of problem solving.
MORE GOOD NEWS: If you read on, you’ll find out how YOU can win a copy of this wonderful book!
Go to http://www.thebackofthenapkin.com/ for all the stuff that’s been written about Dan, including cool videos, other audio interviews, and a few of the methods we talk about in this podcast.
For all my deaf and hard of hearing friends, I hope to have this transcribed soon so you can learn from Dan as well.
Enjoy Phil Gerbyshak Meets the Back of the Napkin. It’s about 40 minutes long. When I get it transcribed, I’ll post the raw MP3 file so you can download it for later. For now, head over to http://www.thebackofthenapkin.com/ to learn a few of Dan’s tips and tricks!
Win a copy of The Back of the Napkin Contest
Share your best way to solve a problem in the comments below, and I’ll pick someone at random Thursday the 29th of May, 2008 and you can win an autographed copy of Dan’s book!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been looking into getting this book and as crazy as my life is right now it would be nice to win it. That being said I will share my best way of solving a problem. Usually when I am confronted with a difficult problem the worst thing to do is become overly obsessed instead I find it helpful to do one of two things;
1.) Get away from the problem either by taking a walk or working on something else. I find that even a short time of distraction will help get my mind back on track in the same way sleeping on it will.
2.) I will give myself a very short deadline. I often work better under pressure to the point the answers will literally erupt to the surface.
I can see how the drawing is very important as the older we get we think in terms of lists when in reality our world is more three dimensional that that.
I am a huge fan of the Back of the Napkin method of problems solving, but personally, I prefer mindmapping… on the back of napkins when they are available.
Wow, Dan’s work looks fantastic – I’d love to see his book.
Problem solving? My favorite way is intuitive; to feel the decisions at hand, connect to my heart (through meditation, breathing, etc.), and then ask for clarity/revelation/insight/whatever, and see what starts to pop up.
It’s a way of circumventing the rational (which has already had its say, thank you very much), and tapping into the ephemeral, the right-brain, the subconscious, etc.
Sounds like a great book.
I solve problems by jumping right in. Once I “get my feet wet” on a problem I’m trying to solve, I have a better feel for what it is, and then I’ll tweak whatever it is I’m doing to work on a solution. Sometimes what I do works right away, and other times I have to try other options. But in trying is where I learn “how” to solve the problem.
I was leafing through the book today at Borders. Very cool!
I find that when I explain complex transactions or relationship it helps me to put it in a drawing. It also works well when others are willing to pick up the pen and add their own understandings, thoughts or ideas. The other great thing is that you can fold it up and put it in a folder for future reference.
I run away and hide under the bed.
No, no, I don’t. That’s what I want to do sometimes. I’m a big fan of research and listing out pro’s and con’s of each alternative before choosing the best course of action. Right now I’m doing this for a potential job transfer and I’m happy to report pro’s are winning!
My favorite method to solve problem is this:
1. If it is heavy on the emotional side. Interrupt the negative thoughts. I tell myself “STOP! How would you be in a blue hairy gorilla costume?” Or something stupid like that so I can start laughing.
2. Ask” How long am I going to work on this problem?” And commit to spend 20% on the problem and 80% on the solution.
3. I write the problem on paper restructuring it as a challenge instead of a problem.
4. Ask intelligent questions (I got them from Anthony Robbins):
–a. What is great about this problem? Or what could be great about it?
–b. What is not perfect yet?
–c. What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it?
–d. What am I willing to no longer do in order to make it the way I want it?
–e. How can I have fun while I do what is necessary to make it the way I want it?
5. Develop a plan
–a. Make a list of all I can do about that
–b. Prioritize the list
–c. Put the items in order of time
–d. Determine the necessary resources (time, money, etc.) for each activity. Ask:
—-i. Do I have the necessary resources?
—-ii. Where can I get them?
6. Execute on the plan and review it often.
7. Adjust the plan with regularity according to new inputs and feedback.