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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Pig Wrestling summary
Pete Lindsay, Mark Bawden
The Brilliantly Simple Way to Solve Problems & Create Change
18 mins
Brief summary
Pig Wrestling offers a unique problem-solving framework using a fictional allegory, guiding readers to tackle challenging issues effectively by changing how they perceive and interpret problems rather than the problems themselves.
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Pig Wrestling
Summary of 5 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 5
The problem with problems
Months trying to mend fences between two clashing teams had worn a young manager’s patience completely thin. He’d attempted coaching, team building activities, even structural changes. Still, his teams clashed, projects faltered, and the workplace atmosphere hit rock bottom. Following another difficult meeting, he went quickly into his office, shut the door firmly, and thought about abandoning his work there.
Looking for a quiet moment, he walked down to the Courtyard Coffee Shack in the lobby of the Collective – a business center in a repurposed power station. There, he met a distinct barista, an older gentleman whose thoughtful manner seemed unusual.
The barista knew his standard order – a flat white to go – displaying a familiarity the manager couldn’t recall creating. While making the coffee, the barista observed the manager’s clear upset and gently asked about his difficulties. Soon, the manager was pouring out his frustrations about uncooperative teams, failed culture changes, and low employee connection scores.
Listening closely, the barista offered a view that made the manager pause. He proposed that when you wrestle with a problem and can’t create change, you might not be using the wrong solution – perhaps you’re focused on the wrong problem from the start.
This idea forms the basis of what the barista named Problem Cleaning. He explained that wrestling with problems is like wrestling with pigs – you end up covered in mud and tired, achieving nothing useful. The barista referenced a known saying: wrestling with a pig gets you dirty, and the pig rather likes it.
The barista mentioned certain signs showing you’re caught in this pointless cycle: feeling you have tried every fix, facing a problem that seems unending, and feeling drained from dealing with the issue repeatedly. These indicators point to framing the problem incorrectly initially, seeing it through a restricted view that blocks a clear path.
People certain they’ve tried everything have only used up their current ideas, the barista noted. They haven’t yet found the correct path – if they had, the problem would be gone.
The barista then presented a technique to break free: a system called the Pig Pen, designed to help pinpoint and clean up problems properly. Curious, the manager paid attention as the barista outlined how this system uses clear mental pictures – a pig pen with specific features standing for steps in the problem-cleaning sequence – to recall a helpful way to create change.
This exchange started the manager’s exploration through the Collective. There, he’d encounter different people detailing each part of the Pig Pen system. Each individual would provide a key piece of the problem-cleaning puzzle, altering how the manager faced difficulties.
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What is Pig Wrestling about?
Pig Wrestling (2019) offers a memorable story showing how to approach seemingly impossible problems. Follow a stressed manager guided by an unusual barista through a process for reframing difficulties. The process reveals methods drawn from top performers, helping you handle messy situations with greater clarity.
Who should read Pig Wrestling?
- Managers seeking fresh ways to handle stubborn team difficulties smoothly
- Anyone feeling blocked by recurring problems in work or life
- People facing complex environments who need clearer thinking tools now
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