Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work

by Bill Burnett

Try Stuff THE MINIMUM ACTIONABLE PROBLEM (MAP) TOOLKIT Let’s practice taking a look at our problems, a real problem in our work and/or our life, and see if we can remove the drama and cut the problem down to size. Let’s take a stab at coming up with our MAP. 1. Pick a problem that you would like to work on. It could be a problem that you are having at work, like the “feedback problem” we talked about, or even one of Gottman’s “perpetual problems” from your relationship. But make sure it’s a real problem, and one that you’ve been stuck on for a while. 2. Write the problem down, as clearly as you can. Writing it out will help you understand the “frame” that is implicit in the way you state the problem. 3. First, examine the problem for any biases, embedded solutions, drama, or emotional components. This is challenging, because we often do not see our own biases. To do this well requires radical honesty, a healthy dose of Accept, and maybe the help of a friend. 4. If you are struggling to state the problem objectively, ask a friend to help. Read them your problem statement and ask them to help you detect biases, embedded solutions, drama, or emotional components. Let them help you find a couple of MAPs. 5. Once you have a few ideas about how to reframe your problem into a MAP, put your more objective, nonbiased reframe in the form of a How might we…or a How might I…statement. 6. Once you have a few MAPed problems, brainstorm (maybe with your friend again) at least three diffe...