🧰 Why it's never a good idea to solve problems in a vacuum πŸ› 


First: a warm welcome to the Wolf Creek Christian Writers Network! πŸ–‹

The WCCNW writing community is right here in my hometown, and I was with them in person last week to talk about marketing. Many folks were kind enough to sign up for my newsletter: thank you all!

The business understanding and view of marketing doesn't always translate over into the world of writing. Authors and writers struggle with it, so I shared practical tips (with a sacred perspective) that I hope will help them. Over the past few years, I've had a lot of people help me understand how marketing relates to writing β€” and why it's important. In preparing to speak with the group, I was reminded that solutions are much more powerful and effective when they come from different sources β€” not just our own minds and experiences.

A funny story about solving problems in a vacuum: starring George, Peggy, & a propane range πŸ’₯

As many of you know, we live in a small rural town in the mountains, and instead of natural gasβ€”we have propane tanks. Picture small white cylinders outside each house. George and I both like to solve problems, so we're big on "do-it-yourself" repairs. If we need to fix something, we look it up on YouTube! We recently found out that when it comes to propane, that may not be the best idea.
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An igniter went out on our propane range, so we googled how to fix it. Ordered the part. Replaced it. Stove was back in working order. Yay! A couple weeks later, George was making dinner. I was upstairs and heard (felt) a loud BOOM! The house shook hard enough that paintings came off the walls. I ran down, and the kitchen looked like a tornado had come through.
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The stove grates were on the floor, along with food, skillets, and pans. Everything that had been hanging on the walls throughout the lower floor was blown off. The oven, fridge, and freezer doors had blown open. George was standing just outside the kitchen, unharmed except for the hair on the front of his legs: completely singed off.
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Turns out that when we closed the top of the range, we crimped the aluminum tube that carries the propane. It cracked and propane was leaking out every time we used the stove. Propane sinks, so it sank to the bottom until enough pressure built up and it blew. That wasn't covered in the YouTube video!
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You truly don't know what you don't know. We decided that day that if natural gas or propane are involved, we're calling in the experts to solve the problem. I thank God George wasn't hurt and our house didn't burn down. And we were both reminded that solving a problem in a vacuum doesn't produce the best result. Here are a couple of big takeaways that can be applied to solving problems in any realm: home and work:
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πŸ’₯ #1 When we solve problems in a vacuum, it's easy to underestimate the complexity of a problem and overestimate our ability to solve it.
πŸ’₯ #2: The higher the stakes, the more important it is to collaborate with people who are smarter than we are.

Speaking of that, have you seen the movie Thirteen Lives? β›‘

It's a true story about 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave system in Thailandβ€”and their miraculous rescue. Talk about a case study on problem solving! This incredible story so clearly shows the power of collaboration. Everyone involved is talented in specific, different ways. They all have something to contribute, and it takes all of them to solve a life or death problem.
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Most of the daily problems we solve as leaders don't have consequences that are this severe; but, we can still learn from the story's example:
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πŸ‘‰πŸ½ Leaders will never have all the skills needed to solve every problem. Our responsibility is to build teams of gifted people and empower them to do what they do best.
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The best results come when leaders provide vision, resources, and clarity β€” and then get out of the way.

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Little doses of encouragement and inspiration:

For those in the workplace, here's podcast episodes where Monica and I talk about what it means to express our faith at work. Our conversation focuses on leadership, but it can easily apply to anyone who works in the marketplace.

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For the writers, here's a post I wrote when I wrestling with the question of whether writing as a calling versus writing as a career. Can't it be both? 🧐

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For anyone who is feeling discouraged today, here's a podcast I recorded with Pastor Mark Cravens. Mark hosts the Hope Along the Journey podcast, and I was really happy to add my story to his ministry of hope. My prayer is that whoever listens will be reminded that God wastes nothing and redeems everything.

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Thank you, Sacred Work community! By the time you read this, I'll be taking a much-anticipated vacation in Savannah, Georgia. Hello, history, architecture, and good ole southern cooking. The next edition of the newsletter will roll out mid-September. If I can serve you in any way before then, I'm only an email away.

❀️ With gratitude,

Peggy

Sacred Work

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