Are You Good at Problem Solving?

Posted by Jane on 15 January, 2010  Email This Post -  Print This Post

I love to do crosswords. I nearly always have one on the go and they help keep my brain sharp.

I have just picked up the paper again and puzzled over this clue:

‘Decent chalet I suspect’   7 letters.

I had one clue, it ended in L.

I struggled over this for a while when it suddenly came to me. The answer was ‘ethical’. It was an anagram of chalet I with decent being the key word.

The Coaching Anagram

As I wrote in the answer I laughed at myself because there it was written in the margins of the paper from yesterday. I had forgotten that I had worked out that problem before!

It made me think about the parallels with my coaching practice; I coach very bright, often very senior, women who sometimes can’t see the solution that they know is there, or forget that they have experiences to draw on to help them solve their current puzzle. My role is to help them get the letters in the right order!

So, take a few minutes now and again to reflect on all your experience and skills. If you give yourself a little space and time you may well find the answer to any of life’s problems lurking in your margins!

If you have had an experience when the answer was staring you in the face all the time, please do let me know! You may inspire someone else to find their solution!

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