10 Ways to Solve Problems: Pocket Readers 9784909730305

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Solve Problems

10 WAYS TO Solve Problems by Kyle Maclauchlan

Pocket Readers

C R E AT I V E E D U C AT I O N

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POCKET READERS 10 WAYS TO - Series Overview The 10 WAYS TO series provides advice, skills, and strategies to the reader for successfully negotiating different aspects of life. Each book suggests 10 clear, useful ways to the reader. The reader is encouraged to critically reflect on the reading material and their own lives in order to make any changes that would benefit them. The series includes the following. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways ways

to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to

achieve work-life balance be more productive manage money be successful in love be assertive be smart online be environmentally friendly be healthy work in a team organize a trip understand the news stay safe control your emotions be creative influence people be polite cook choose your career solve problems live cheaply

Solve Problems

10 WAYS TO Solve Problems Introduction

.... 4

1. Address the problem, not the person

.... 6

2. Break down the problem

.... 8

3. Look for a win-win

...10

4. Give-and-take

... 12

5. Plan, do, review, plan

... 14

6. Don’t panic

... 16

7. Work backwards

... 18

8. Sympathize

... 20

9. Research the problem

... 22

10. Think outside the box

... 24

Summary

... 26

Reflection Questions

... 28

Vocabulary in Context

... 29

Vocabulary List

... 36

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Introduction Life is wonderful. We can enjoy having fun with our friends. We can work hard at our job. We can study hard at school. We feel happy when we are successful. Sometimes, however, we will run into problems. Problems are a part of life. We all need to address problems. And, the way we do this is a very important part of who we are. It is easy to have good friends when life is going well. It is easy to work with people when your job is going well. But, when there’s a problem, that is when people will be there for you. Your true friends will help you with your problems. Good team members will work together to help you solve 4

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problems. It can be difficult to solve problems. But, when you find a way, it is a really great feeling. Now, stop and think about the times you have had problems. What kinds of problems did you have? Did you feel angry, or stressed about the problem? Did you argue or fight with other people? Or, were you able to find a solution easily? Here are ten ways to help you solve problems:

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1. Address the problem, not the person When we have a problem, we often get angry. We try to decide who caused the problem. We often get angry with them. And, we may argue. But, this is not the way to solve the problem. If we blame somebody for the problem, we can create more problems. The person we blame will feel worse about the situation. Relationships between people will become more stressful. And, in the future, someone else might make the same mistake. The real cause of the problem was not really addressed. Instead of thinking about who to blame, we should think about good 6

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ways to solve the problem. This is the most important step. We need to decide why the problem occurred. Were the instructions not clear? Did the person need more training? Should the job have been done by a team instead of one person? By thinking this way, we can begin to solve the problem. We can also make sure the problem does not happen again. Remember, to think about the future, not the past. Past mistakes cannot be changed. But, we can change the future.

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2. Break down the problem We want to look at the problem. We want to find out why it happened. We want to look for its causes. But, often a problem can seem too big to understand. It can feel too complex to solve. That is why we must try to look at each problem piece by piece. We need to break the problem down into smaller parts. Then, we can begin to see the solution. Did many people work together? Were there computers or other machines? How much time was used? How much money? Did the problem occur on a certain day, or in a certain area? When we look at things this way, we can see what is working well. We can see which areas are creating 8

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problems. A big problem might just be a small problem, with big effects. Or, maybe the big problem is actually many smaller problems. We can look at each small problem. Then, we can solve each one. For example, in 1999, scientists sent a ship to Mars. It did not go in exactly the right direction. It was lost forever. Why did this occur? It was caused by a small problem. Two teams were working together on the project. One team used inches, the other team used meters. However, this small communication mistake created a very large problem. Luckily, there were no people on the ship!

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3. Look for a win-win Problems can often occur between two people. Each person wants something different. They feel that only one person can be right. They fight to be the only winner. But, real problem solving means looking for a win-win situation. This means that both people can be happy with the solution. Both people get what they need. Both people are winners.

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To get a win-win situation, you have to change the way you think. You shouldn’t think about how to win the argument. You shouldn’t think about how to beat the other person. You should look for a solution that means both people win. Now, you are not fighting against the other person.

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You are working together. You are thinking together about a solution that can make you both happy. Sometimes, you might find someone who has the same problem. By yourself, your problem is difficult. But, you might be able to help the other person. And, they might be able to help you. You can be there for each other. For example, a husband and wife are at a dinner party. The meal includes fish eggs and shrimp. The husband loves shrimp but doesn’t like fish eggs. The wife loves fish eggs but doesn’t like shrimp. What should they do? Of course, they should trade the food they don’t like. Now, both people can eat more of the food they like! 11

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4. Give-and-take Of course, it would be nice if every problem could be solved with a winwin. But sometimes, you have to find a more complex solution. Sometimes, you have to give something up. In very difficult problems, both people have to give something up to reach a good solution. In a good give-andtake solution, however, you often get more than you give up. You have to give a little to get a lot. And, so does the other person. But, the solution is one that can make both people happy. If you cannot find a win-win solution, you should look for a way to create a good giveand-take. Sometimes a good giveand-take solution can create a good relationship between two people, 12

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companies, or even countries! Maybe, two children want to play with a toy. Both want to go first. Both want to win. But, they think of a fair give-and-take. The first child can play with the toy for five minutes. The second child can play for seven minutes. One child is happy to play first. The other is happy to wait and play a little longer. Both children give-and-take. They are both happy with the solution. A good trade relationship is based on give-and-take. Maybe, your country has a lot of rice. Maybe, another country has a lot of oil. Your two countries can trade. Then, everyone is happy with the solution. 13

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5. Plan, do, review, plan Some people’s jobs are to solve problems every day. Police officers and fire fighters are some examples of this. There are also people who work to prepare everyone for natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons. Unfortunately, these problems will never go away. So, we have to plan for them. When we know a problem will come, we can make a plan to prepare for it. We can make a plan of what to do when the problem occurs. First, we should think about the possible problem. We should think about what we should do. Then, when the problem occurs, we can act quickly. We know what to do. Later, we can 14

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review what we did. Did our plan go well? Were our actions successful? Then, we can think about better ways to solve the problem. And, we can make a better plan. As you can see, this way of thinking is a circle. When we deal with problems that occur again and again, we must always keep working. We plan. We try our best. Then, we learn from what happened and we try again. The solution might never be perfect. But, in this way, we can try to make the solution better each time.

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6. Don’t panic Problems can cause stress. When we feel stress, we often don’t think clearly. We may get angry or feel sick. We may want to solve the problem immediately. And, we may start to panic. We can do things without thinking clearly about them. The quick actions we do are often wrong. And, they can cause more problems. In this way, a small problem can grow into a large disaster. More people begin to panic. And, more bad decisions are made. Instead, we should always stay calm when there is a problem. We should not panic. Think slowly and clearly about the problem and the solution. A few seconds or minutes is all we 16

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may need to think calmly about a solution. Often, those few seconds can be the difference between a bad solution or a successful solution. One example is a kitchen oil fire. If a pan of oil catches fire in the kitchen, most people would probably panic. Someone might try to put water on the fire. But, by acting quickly, they could cause a disaster. Water and oil do not mix. So, the fire will get worse. And, the whole house may catch on fire. Instead, it is important not to panic. Just turn off the heat. Then, put the lid or cover on the pan. Calm thinking can save the day.

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7. Work backwards Sometimes, solving a problem is easier when you can imagine the perfect solution. Instead of thinking, “What can we do?” you should think, “What is the perfect solution?” Of course, this solution might not be possible. It’s ok if it is a dream. The idea is to think about the perfect solution. Then, you can work backwards to a solution that can work. You should ask yourself questions when working backwards. First, what would be a perfect solution? Next, what do you need to make that happen? Now, what do you actually have? What can you actually do? What can you use to connect your dream solution to a real situation? 18

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For example, a school was being used as a safe place for people after a big earthquake. Many people were there. But, there was no water in the bathrooms. So, no one could use the toilets. The toilets needed water somehow. The school had bottles of water, but that was for people to drink. The water was too important to use for the toilets. They needed water that was not useful for drinking. Then someone remembered that the school had a swimming pool. And, there were lots of people to carry water. So, the solution was to get many people to help carry water from the school pool to the school toilets. The solution used the things that the school had to solve a very difficult problem. 19

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8. Sympathize When someone has a problem, they may become angry. They may act badly to other people. They might say bad things to them. How can you help this kind of person? It is hard to be there for them. Maybe their words will start to make you angry, too! When this happens, you should try to sympathize with the person. You need to think about how they feel. Think about how you would feel if you had the same problem. Now, you can start to understand that person. You can start to talk to them. You can ask them questions about their problem. Try your best to understand their problem. Because you can think calmly, you 20

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can help them find a good solution. But maybe they won’t listen to you, because they are angry! Don’t panic. Try to listen to their problem carefully. You have to tell them that you understand how they feel. When you show them that you understand them, they will start to trust you. They will start to listen to you. Then, you can really help them solve their problem. Sometimes you just need to say, “Yes, that would make me angry, too!” Suddenly, the person will feel better. Why? Because you showed them that you understand them.

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9. Research the problem When you are trying to solve a problem, you might feel very alone. You might think that you have to solve the problem by yourself. However, that is often not correct. Other people might have had the same problem. They might have already solved it. Instead of trying to find a solution on your own, you should try researching the problem. The Internet is a large, powerful resource that can help you find a solution. Computer problems, pet problems, arguments – the Internet has information about everything. The Internet connects people and information from all over the world. So, you can find another person 22

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who has had the same problem. You can find their solution. You can try it for yourself. If it works, or if you find a new solution, you can share your experience on the Internet, too. Maybe, you will help someone else with the same problem. The library, and the workers there, are also a great resource. They can help you find information that will help with your problem. It may seem slow to get information from books. However, books are often written by experts. They contain a lot of useful information about a topic. The solutions to many problems are already there in the library, waiting for you to find them! 23

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10. Think outside the box A popular phrase in business is, “Think outside the box.” But, what does it mean? What is the box? The box is not real. It is an idea. It is like a wall around us. It stops us from seeing new solutions to problems. We make this box by doing the same things all the time. We learn a job by getting some training. Then, we do the job the same way as the training. Trying new things can cause mistakes. So, we are afraid of changing anything. Doing things the same way again and again feels very safe. Also, if we did a job successfully, we will probably do it the same way the next time. We think, if it worked last time, it will 24

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also work next time. This usually happens. Sometimes, however, things change. Suddenly, our old way doesn’t work anymore. And, we can’t think of a new way to do things. We have built a box around our mind. We can’t change. Life always changes. We can’t always do things the same way. Keeping the same way may feel safe. But, someday we will all have to learn to think outside the box. Business leaders understand that the world changes. Businesses must change, too. That is why business leaders always say, “Think outside the box.” The old way to do things can be safe, but new ideas and new ways can be better. 25

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Summary Now, you have read the book, stop and think again. Do you think these ten ways can help you to solve problems? Think about the problems you have addressed in your life. Have you ever had problems that you couldn’t solve? Is there a problem that you wish you could try a different solution for? Do you think these ten ways can help you solve these problems in the future? The next time a problem occurs, can you address the problem, not the person? Can you break down a complex problem into smaller parts? Will you look for a win-win solution? Or, will you try to find a give-and-take solution? Some 26

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problems keep occurring. Try the circle: Plan, do, review, plan. And, remember not to panic! Can you try to work backwards to find a new solution? Will you try to sympathize with other people who have problems? Are you going to research your problem online, or at the library? Now that you know about “the box,” will you try to think outside of it? Every problem has a solution. Sometimes, the solution is easy to find. Sometimes, you have to look harder. But, the more you practice solving problems, the better you become. And, solving problems is a skill that will help you your whole life.

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Reflection Questions 1. Can you remember the 10 ways to solve problems? Test yourself. If you forget any, go back, and read them again. 2. Do you do any of the 10 ways to solve problems? If so, which ones do you do? 3. How could you use any of the 10 ways to solve problems in your life? 4. What do you think you will do differently to solve problems after reading this book? 5. Can you think of other ways to solve problems?

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Vocabulary in Context 1. Address • We all need to address problems. • Just painting the old wall did not address the damage underneath. • Ayumi thanked the whole team. Then, she addressed each member and thanked them again. 2. Be there for • But, when there’s a problem, that is when people will be there for you. • I thanked him for being there for me when I was sick. • When Amanda’s friend got the bad news, she was there for her. 3. Solve • Good team members will work together to help you solve problems. • The puzzle’s solution was difficult, but very interesting. • The team’s problems were solved when a new member joined them. 29

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4. Argue • Did you argue or fight with someone? • Steve and his wife argued about which car they should buy. • Usually, getting into an argument on the Internet is a waste of time. 5. Cause • We try to decide who caused the problem. • The bad storm caused damage to the wall. • Doctors tried to find the cause of the man’s poor health.

6. Blame • If we blame somebody for the problem, we can create more problems. • Peter always blamed other people for his mistakes. • Robert broke the glass, but he blamed the dog for it. 30

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7. Occur • We need to decide why the problem occurred. • Many things look like magic, but science can explain why they occur. • When the fire occurred, everyone got out of the building safely. 8. Break down • We need to break the problem down into smaller parts. • Let’s try and break down the math problem, so it is easier to understand. • The car was expensive, so Carol broke the cost down into monthly payments. 9. Complex • A big problem can feel too complex to solve. • It was impossible for Adam to fix the complex machine. • The game had many complex rules, but Susan soon understood how to play it.

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10. Win-win • But, real problem solving means looking for a win-win situation. • The new plan was a win-win for both companies. • Jayne is good at finding win-win solutions when her sons argue. 11. Trade • Of course, they should trade the food they don’t like. • Travis and Scott traded books when they finished reading them. • Simon wanted to trade his apple for Maki’s cookie, but she refused. 12. Give-and-take • In a good give-and-take solution, however, you often get more than you give up. • I argue every day with my sister. We need to build a better give-and-take relationship. • The give-and-take agreement was fair and balanced, so both companies accepted it. 32

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13. Review • Later, we can review what we did. • The teacher reviewed the classwork from the last lesson. • Kyle finished writing the book. Then he reviewed it to make sure there were no mistakes. 14. Disaster(s) • There are also people who work to prepare everyone for natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons. • Teams of people brought food to the people that were caught in the disaster. • The large storm caused a disaster in the city. It damaged roads and destroyed houses. 15. Panic • We may start to panic. • Lucy couldn’t find her smartphone anywhere, so she began to panic. • Close your eyes and relax. Don’t let yourself panic.

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16. Backwards • Then, you can work backwards to a solution that can work. • Terry got dressed in the dark, and accidentally put his shirt on backwards. • Sheila trained the horse to walk backwards.

17. Connect • What can you use to connect your dream solution to a real situation? • With this application on my phone, I can connect with my friends in other countries. • The wire was too short to connect the computer to the screen. 18. Sympathize • When this happens, you should try to sympathize with the person. • Many people sympathized with Lucy when she lost her smartphone. • Alan sympathized with the father in the story, because he also had a son. 34

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19. Resource(s) • The Internet is a large, powerful resource that can help you find a solution. • The company did not have enough resources to finish the project. • This book is a great resource for my research.

20. Think outside the box • A popular phrase in business is, “Think outside the box.” • I wanted to try a new way to do the job, so I started to think outside the box. • Newton really thought outside the box and created a new way to look at the problem.

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Vocabulary List Address:

(Verb) to deal with something; to speak to someone directly; to work on something directly.

Be there for:

(Idiom) to support someone; to help someone.

Solve:

(Verb) to find an answer to a problem. Solution (Noun) the answer or way to fix a problem.

Argue:

(Verb) to disagree with someone, usually with anger or in a loud voice. Argument (Noun) a disagreement with someone.

Cause:

(Verb/Noun) to create a situation or a problem; a reason that something happened.

Blame:

(Verb) to say that someone is the cause of a problem; to say that somebody did something wrong.

Occur:

(Verb) to happen.

Break down:

(Phrasal verb) to take something big and separate it into parts or pieces; to think of a big idea in smaller steps.

Complex:

(Adjective) difficult; having many pieces or rules; not simple.

Win-win:

(Adjective) describes something that is good for both people in an agreement; both people or sides benefit.



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Trade:

(Verb) to give one thing in exchange for another.

Give-and-take:

(Adjective) describes a kind of agreement where both people give something in order to get something else.

Review:

(Verb) to look at something again; to check something.

Disaster(s):

(Noun) very large problems with many negative effects, e.g. natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons.

Panic:

(Verb) to become scared suddenly; to not think clearly because of a situation.

Backwards:

(Adjective) going in reverse; going from the end to the beginning; going the opposite way.

Connect:

(Verb) to put two things together.

Sympathize:

(Verb) to understand how another person feels, especially to understand their sadness or anger.

Resource(s):

(Noun) something valuable; a source of valuable things like information.

Think outside the (Idiom) to create new ideas or new ways of doing something; to think in an original way; to change box: what people think is “normal.”

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NOTES

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Pocket Readers - 10 Ways to solve problems ------------------------------------------------------2019年8月1日 初版発行 著者:

Kyle Maclauchlan

発行者: Darren Halliday 発行所： HALICO株式会社

〒103-0027 東京都中央区日本橋3-4-15



八重洲通ビル5階



電話：03-6870-3512

ホームページ: https://www.halico.jp ------------------------------------------------------Copyright © Kyle Maclauchlan ISBN 978-4-909730-30-5 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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