I DO not know how many of you are fond of the latest number game "Sudoku.

" It all started on a fine morning, when I was waiting for my office van to pick me up. I and my daughter started filling in the grids on some logic that crossed our mind at that time. For the next month or so, it was more of dirtying the study room with wooden parings of the pencil and eraser wastes, much to my wife's chagrin. Finally after buying a book from Higginbothams on "How to solve Sudoku Puzzle" the technique of clearing them became interesting. Now the easy puzzles are child's play; medium take an hour or two extra; hard puzzles slightly more. In a day if there is no disturbance at home (and if your wife is asleep), safely three puzzles are solved. In the bargain, certain flashes of management lessons strike the mind.

One correct answer

There is only one solution to one puzzle: Despite various options, there is bound to be only one correct answer to one puzzle. You cannot interchange numbers and bring in another solution. In any organisation, if the mission and vision are clear, most of the problems can be solved with ease. If there is no clarity, whatever effort you may put in, the result may not be commensurate with the effort. Further if the only one effective solution to any problem is connected, the goal is achieved without much difficulty. Ability to change: You select a number, which may look correct, because of another logic leading to that space. But if the logic itself is wrong, you must be prepared to change your mindset (in this case, the logic itself) and erase the number to move to its original location. In the same way, if your ideas and thoughts are not fetching desired results in the desired time frame, do not hesitate to change your methodology to reach the goal. Patience: Sometimes, you get stuck to get the numbers on the grid, despite your mind analysing various options and combinations. Be patient. Leave the grid for a while; concentrate on something different (light reading/TV programmes). After an hour or so, try the puzzle again. You will hit the elusive logic with ease and all numbers will fall in place. So is the problem solving in an organisation. Any complex problem can be solved, once you let that out of your immediate concentration and reattempt it a little later. Do not take non-calculative risks: There is only one place for any number in that puzzle. Though two or three options/locations will be available, you have to do a lot of permutations and combinations in logical thinking to get the correct place for that number. This is also true with real life situations. Before taking any speculative risk in business, analyse those risks thoroughly and then reach a solution.

Complex problems
Never fear complex problems, attempt them first: Despite solving many puzzles, you get attracted to solve hard problems first and the satisfaction you get out of solving them can never be compared with that of solving easy or medium puzzles. The same is true in handling business problems. The more complex problems are solved, the more satisfaction you gain of having achieved something. In that process, the small irritants get cleared themselves. Never fear failures: Sometimes despite all your efforts, you will hit the wrong move in the final stage of solving the puzzle. Do not get disheartened. Erase all the numbers on the grid and start the puzzle once again. You will hit the correct answers. Similarly, do not get bogged down on drawbacks and failures in your path forward. Learn the wrong lessons, correct them and march ahead. Haven't you heard "It's not how many times I fall that matters, but how many times I stand up again that makes me the winner?" Never hesitate to approach a problem: If you start thinking that this puzzle is just a fad and why waste time on that, you will never enjoy playing this puzzle. The same way, whenever you confront any problem, attempt to derive a solution rather than avoiding the problem per se.

Learn the technique fast: To solve the puzzle, you have to initially learn certain techniques governing the logic of solving. In that way, the book was my help. In your management of solutions, learn the technique through constant reading, updating your knowledge and interaction with various forums and bodies furthering such education. A saw sharpened is more useful than a dull one for effective felling of trees. Finally they say, a creative mind will think of different solutions unheard of and never thought of. Creativity, they say, can be improved by playing this puzzle.

1. Try, try again. When I first took a stab at Sudoku, the puzzle seemed terribly hard. I watched other puzzle solvers who seemed to easily figure out which number should go into which square with amazement and envy. I didn't have the chops to do that. Why even bother to try? Fortunately, despite my doubts, I decided to give it a go. If I hadn't, I'd still not be able to solve Sudoku--today, with patient practice, I've learned enough skills and strategies that I can finish the five-star challengers. Clearly, in life, too, to achieve a goal, you have to take the first steps--otherwise you're dooming yourself to failure by being afraid to start. 2. Baby steps and bunny slopes are A-OK. Starting out, I quickly discovered that medium Sudokus were beyond my ken. So, I went back to Easy Sudoku until I felt confident that I was ready to move to the next level. When I wanted a challenge, I'd try a harder puzzle--to build my confidence, I'd solve a familiar easy page. Slowly, I was able to progress to medium, hard and then challenger levels, being kind to myself when I met a puzzle obstacle I couldn't conquer. Again, in life, starting slow and small, and working your way towards your goal slowly is more likely to generate both solid learning and skills, and relative progress. Don't bite off more than you can chew-you'll discourage yourself and give up on what might have been an eventually achievable goal. 3. Don't beat on yourself if you don't always succeed. Yes, at each level of Sudoku, there were a few puzzles I did wrong or couldn't solve. I have to admit that now and again I've tossed newspapers across the room in frustration. But, I discovered that "getting back on the puzzle horse" usually allowed me to find a solution. Sometimes, I had to start the puzzle over completely--but, I was able to solve it the second time around. Whatever your goal, it's likely you'll find some obstacles in your path, or meet failure along the road. Don't blame yourself if you don't always succeed. Nobody does. Strategize ways around the obstacles, and resolve to consider starting again if necessary. 4. Get the easy tasks out of the way first. By scanning the puzzle, you may be able to pick up squares where it's easy to fill in the missing number. Completing all the easy fills helps you get started, gives you a confidence boost and allows you to then focus on the harder tasks where the answers aren't quite as obvious. When you're facing any challenging project, stepping back to review the tasks needed, and then starting with those you can finish right away, helps you move forward with a sense of accomplishment and builds a foundation for the rest of the project tasks. 5. Eliminate the unnecessary. There are nine numbers in Sudoku, but, for most squares, you can eliminate a few of the nine to narrow down the choices. By carefully analyzing a square's environment, you can see what numbers are in each section and avoid duplication of entries. In life and work, removing duplications and distractions from your strategic planning can help you focus on your goal and include the necessary "numbers" or components in your plan. 6. What's missing? Each Sudoku section has some numbers already in place. Which numbers are missing that you'll need to fill in, and can you assign some patterns to those numbers that will reduce the numbers of choices you'll have to face? For example, can some of the missing numbers be paired? If so,

then those digits can be removed from other squares in the row or section to simplify your options. Identifying what components are missing between you and your life goals can help you develop options to "take care of them." For example, obtaining a degree or certification might allow you to move ahead faster on your path to a promotion or a new job. 7. Get help when you need it. No, I don't mean by looking up the solutions online or in the back of the puzzle book. But, there are a lot of puzzle experts who provide tips for solving Sudoku that can teach you a few helpful tricks. Seeking out mentors who can coach us as we make our way through life can help us learn new skills and techniques that will promote our happiness and success. Collaboration with a partner on a puzzle or a project can often lead to synergy--and an improved outcome. 8. Yes, you can look up the answer--but not too soon. Sometimes, all the techniques you've learned aren't enough to come up with the right solution. Don't give up quickly, but once you're sure you've exhausted your skills or your patience, turning to the puzzle answer isn't always cheating. It can be an opportunity for you to learn a new approach, analyze what went wrong and benchmark your progress. Unless you're a 21st Century Edison, inventing the new, chances are that many others have faced the same challenges you are facing--their answers might allow you to examine your solving attempts and refine them. 9. Finally, have fun. Yes, fun. Try to avoid becoming obsessed, frustrated or angry when you're solving puzzles, or bounding down the pathway towards other goals. It's natural to want to do well, to succeed, but obsession and anger often create more bumps in the road. If you can't solve the puzzle in today's paper this evening, put it aside for a few days, then give it another go. Taking a break, and approaching life's puzzles as entertaining exercises will help your mind and body respond more effectively and will increase your chances of five-star level success.