The specific solution
How much should an accompanist charge? It depends. (Miami University Library)
At Eclectic Music, we have a saying: “No blind items!”
A blind item that would appear in a gossip column might sound something like, “Which married sixty-something financier was seen stepping out with young actress from a well-known film franchise?”
In our office, we've got our own version, which might go along these lines: “What do we do when a parent is asking to move their six-year-old student from thirty-minute lessons to hour-long lessons, but the teacher doesn’t want to?”
Listen, we know who these people are. We might as well use their names. This isn't a gossip rag—it's a functioning business. Let's figure out how address the requests and meet the needs of the actual humans we're interacting with. Let's be clear and direct.
People ask hypothetical questions all the time, even when they have a real question based on a specific situation they're dealing with. If we ask a specific question instead, we have a chance at a more effective solution.
When I hear the names of the people involved, a problem has real stakes. I can visualize the scenario and try out different possibilities. I can empathize with the players and use that perspective to inform any decision or recommendation I make.
Even when given a question that isn't necessarily about certain people, such as, "What do you do if you have more than one passion and you're trying to decide what to pursue?" or "How can a manager prevent her team from dropping balls?", any answer I can come up with will be much richer if I'm given the particulars that are driving the question.
More often than not, when we are aware of the specific circumstances, there is a deeper question we can ask that can move us toward a more useful answer. Our solution, when based on the present reality, might become more strategic and less tactical. It might lay out the unspoken assumptions that are blocking us from success. We might even discover that our problem isn't what we thought it was, which allows us to address the real issue.
In order to help the manager to prevent her team from dropping balls, for instance, I would want to start with an example of a ball being dropped. Often, the example given is still a bit vague: "Oh, you know, when we get an order, he's not always tracking it in our system." Still not specific enough. When was the last time an order was not tracked? What happened? From that information, we can determine why the error occurred and take steps to prevent that specific error from being repeated. Sometimes, a system needs to be automated. Sometimes, directions need to be more clear. Sometimes, a person needs a mental health day. A specific problem requires its own specific solution.
I don't mean to suggest that I deal with each problem as though it is unlike any other problem. As a result of studying a number of problems in detail, patterns will emerge. These patterns can be used to create processes and policies that will prevent future problems or provide a context for fixing them. From the specific, we can move to the general.
There are plenty of times in life in which we have to extrapolate from general advice to apply it to our unique situation. When you read a book, the author is not in a position to answer your question. However, many of us overlook the moments in which we could get a very specific solution to our specific problem if only we have the clarity and courage to identify and share it. Seeking a specific solution for our specific situation can be a significant shortcut.
