Problems: Cope, Manage or Solve?

When faced with a problem, I suggest considering three strategies:

• Coping
• Managing
• Solving

Let’s apply the strategies to the situation where you have a new pet who defecates in your house. You (I hope) don’t like poop on the floors of your house.

You could cope with the problem by cleaning up the poop. Your strategy is to deal with the undesirable effects.

You could manage the problem by keeping the dog outside. Your strategy is to tradeoff more time bonding with your dog for eliminating the constant cleanup.

You could solve the problem by training the dog to signal you it needs to go outside to poop. Your strategy is to invest time training the dog to eliminate the problem.

Coping doesn’t intervene. It deals with the problem’s undesirable effects.

Managing intervenes. It makes a tradeoff and controls the problem’s undesirable effects.

Solving eliminates the problem.

Each strategy is effective for a class of problems. I believe all of us cope and manage more problems than we realize. And that’s okay.

But if the strategy you are using isn’t working, you can choose again.

Consider some of the big problems you face this week.

• Which strategy are you using?
• Was the strategy intentional?
• Would you like to change your strategy?