Proposing a Solution to a Problem, Essay Example

Problems would be less “problematic” if they neatly belonged to mechanical, or only even practical, concerns.  Most people are comfortable with fixing what requires fixing when it is a matter of adjustment on what can be seen and felt.  When the problem involves human interaction, no set of tools or revised budget will be of much use.  As I have learned, conflict with another person is a complicated affair, and resolution is often a matter of attempting a variety of approaches, each turned to as both experiment and likely answer.  In the arena of solving human problems, I think, even the most logical solution is still very much a hopeful attempt.

This painful reality was made clear to me in my first job, and it was an experience I do not foresee forgetting.  Working in a fast food restaurant is not unusual for a teenager; it is almost a rite of passage, in fact, and I had no issues with being a part of this cultural tide.  In the beginning, all went well.  The manager approved me and, within a few weeks, I had been trained in almost every facet of the work.  Soon, however, my supervisor created difficulties. I was scheduled when I could not work, repeatedly; I was written up for lateness when others, also only several minutes late, were not; and I was consistently assigned the worst chores. For reasons I could not know, I was disliked, and the dislike translated into impossible working conditions.  For some time, the idea of a solution did not occur to me.  I simply felt that this was the reality and, even as I complained to my friends and co-workers, I had no choice but to endure it.  After a particularly bad week, however, I decided to act and I spoke to the manager.  This was not something I enjoyed but I believed that taking this step, unpleasant as it was, would solve a persistent problem.  In my defense, I was very young at the time.

What actually came of my “solution” was a more extreme version of the same problem.  Having been reprimanded by the manager, the supervisor then seemed to feel justified in “taking revenge.”  Everything was done according to the rules, but this still allowed the supervisor ample opportunity to make my situation hard.  For some time, I resolved to quit, even though the job was very convenient for me. I saw, really, no other avenue, as I had taken the only course I believed open to me.  Then, and without any planning on my part, I confronted the supervisor.  She had made another unreasonable demand and I made an immediate stand, asking to speak to her privately.  Even in the heated moment, I fully expected to be without a job within the hour.

Once again, however, my expectation was turned on its head.  In our talk – which did not begin well – I learned that something I had said on my first day had been misinterpreted and taken as an insult by the supervisor.  It was just that simple. Then, my going to the manager had served to compound the supervisor’s sense of being ridiculed.  As we talked, the tension between us dissolved, and mutual understanding eventually saved the day and my job.  It sounds ridiculously trite, but I came away from the entire experience with a clear knowledge of a practical truth: go to the source directly when trouble begins with someone else.  There are things you probably do not know, and only that cause of your problem can reveal them, and –  ironically – present the solution you need.