How to solve difficult problems
6 September 2023
This essay discusses my approach to solving difficult problems:
Care enough to get to a solution. This means having the patience and determination to overcome the frustration, hurdles and delays commonly associated with difficult problems.
Admit “I don’t know” when you don’t.
Say “I was wrong” when something doesn’t work but keep trying other alternatives until one does work.
It is difficult for many people to say “I don’t know” and “I was wrong” but in the rational world, nobody knows everything and everyone is wrong from time to time.
Accept that difficult, longstanding problems cannot be solved by a simple solution. Even a great solution will need other ideas to deal with leftover issues as well as the “side effects” of the great solution.
Focus on solving the problem, not massaging your ego; i.e. the effort is NOT about you.
These are some of the difficult problems I have worked on, but not necessarily solved:
Promoting alternative energy in the 1970’s.
Reducing long working hours and sleep deprivation for medical trainees.
Understanding how cancer arises.
Substantially reducing cancer deaths.
Promoting healthy living.
Creating a free online pathology textbook that is continuously updated.
Creating a free Worldwide Directory of Pathologists.
Improving medical care, including reproductive rights for women and vaccination use.
Fighting medical and scientific misinformation.
Promoting greater public involvement in governmental matters and voting.
Restoring greatness to the Detroit Public Schools through scholarship programs and awards.
Promoting honesty and high ethical standards in public service, including among lawyers and judges.
Establishing high ethical standards for business management.
Reducing management’s addiction to maximizing short-term profit at the expense of employees, customers, vendors, the community and the nation.
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