Being part of the solution: Part 4: looking beyond the problem: if you can't beat the problem, look for the good in it.

Bosses sometimes take turns tackling the same tough people problem--with no success. Instead of getting better, that problem only gets worse. Then one day, a manager comes along who refuses to see a problem at all--and the problem evaporates! Why? Because the manager saw the seeds of success in the problem itself. Sounds like magic? It's very real, and it can save you and others a lot of aggravation.

John's Problem

Some years ago, a company sent a "problem writer" to one of our writing programs. John was an analyst in a lab. His sin was not bad grammar or convoluted style, but a tendency to dwell on details of method.

John's boss felt he made too big a deal about everything. "Our clients just want the results," she said. "Exactly how we got them doesn't interest them."

We discussed reader needs with John and demonstrated how much easier it was for clients to appreciate his findings when he didn't overload them with details. He agreed in principle--but in every concrete report he saw a need for an exception.

Next, we tried to persuade John to at least bury his beloved details in a "Methods" section. No deal. "If I put it in the back, they won't read it at all," he objected, "and then they won't understand what I did."

Clearly, telling his readers in detail about the creative work he had done for them filled a deep need that transcended all others, including getting the boss off his back. In the end, we asked his manager if John's readers might be able to humor his infatuation with technical detail; she was adamant that it would damage the reputation of the entire group.

We also asked the boss about the quality of John's work. She admitted that his skills were excellent and his work thorough--often too thorough for routine requests. "It sometimes seems as if for him, there is no such thing as a routine job," she complained.

The Problem Escalates

John was soon moved to a different lab in the same facility--and his new boss promptly packed him off to writing class again. By now, John was not getting any interesting jobs--only the most routine analysis that required basically no report beyond a short table of components. The new boss had three reasons for this. One, he thought an exclusive diet of unimportant jobs might cure John of his overambitious behavior. Two, he did not want to expose important clients to John's "nonsense." Three, after a few painful attempts, he refused to edit John's reports on substantial jobs.

John, in the meantime, was bitter but still fighting. As his former boss had recognized, he didn't know the meaning of "routine." No matter how simple the job, he always found a new angle that required creative work--and a corresponding detailed account of method and principle. The boss despaired and passed him on as soon as possible.

An Unlikely Rescue

One day, John's fortune miraculously changed. A young technologist at the research facility was asked to create a special problem-solving group--a crack team constantly on the go. To everybody's surprise, this group leader asked John to join, and John was glad to accept.

We were very curious how John would perform on this high-powered team. About a year later, we had a chance to talk to John's new boss. He told us things had worked out perfectly. John had quickly been given extra responsibilities and even been promoted. He was a key contributor--hardworking, creative, and ambitious. Yes, he was still a little overenthusiastic and boastful, but that didn't bother the boss at all. "Just a bit of an ego," he said. "But then, I have an ego, too!"

What had happened? Simply this: John's new boss had recognized the strengths behind his problems: ambition, creativity, willingness to work hard, and persistence. All these wore qualities he wanted. At the same time, he ignored the ego problem that had stymied John's previous managers and simply gave it the appropriate diet: challenge, opportunity, and, above all, recognition.

Think about some of the problem people you know at work. Can you see strengths in their worst problems? Then how about tapping those strengths?

Cheryl and Peter Reimold have been teaching communication skills to engineers, scientists, and businesspeople for 20 years. Their firm, PERC Communications (telephone [phone], e-mail [e-mail]), offers businesses consulting and writing services, as well as customized in-house courses on writing, presentation skills, and on-the-job communication skills. Visit their web site at www.allaboutcommunication.com.