Ask the rubber duck...

Have you ever been moving along on a project and - BAM! - you hit a brick wall of a problem where you just can't see the solution no matter how many things you try?

I had that happen last night while I was working on a personal project. I had just read a post on codinghorror.com that mentioned a problem-solving technique that involves asking a rubber duck whatever question you might have about a problem before you go to a teammate or boss. The idea is that if you take the time to formulate the question in an understandable way and ask the question out loud, then you have a good chance of figuring out a solution to your problem by yourself.

I've had numerous times where I will start talking to a teammate about a problem I'm having and the solution will come to me while I'm explaining the issue.  While it is really helpful to be able to talk to a teammate to work through the problem, it is a lot less distracting to others, and much more rewarding, to work through the problem on my own.

I thought it might look a bit awkward if I started talking to inanimate objects at the house with my wife and kids there, so I decided to talk through the problem with my wife instead.  Of course, it worked great!  I spent 5 minutes (maybe less) talking about the problem, and the solution came to me.  Next time I think I will go to the garage and talk out the problem.

I've also had similar success when going for walks. I will specifically not think about the problem at first. About halfway through the walk, I'll have had a mental reset. The problem won't seem all-encompassing and will usually seem pretty simple.

Both approaches feel very similar. Talking to a person and trying to explain a problem will force you to think about the problem from a new perspective. Taking a break and letting your mind wander can help by giving you an opportunity to view the problem from a new perspective. Similar to a view from a window - if you move your position even just a tiny bit then you might end up seeing something that was previously out of view.

Rubber duck or no rubber duck - talking through problems is extremely helpful!  You might look a bit crazy, but at least you will be able to get your work done.