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On the other hand, one of the biggest time wasters in life and work is the
inability to solve problems. The inability to solve a single key problem can
lead to underachievement, frustration, failure and even the bankruptcy of an
organization. Thinking and talking in terms of problem solving and solutions
is one of the most important mindsets that you can develop.
Six Steps to Effective Problem Solving
There are six steps to effective problem solving that you can follow to cut
through any difficulty or obstacle you face for the rest of your career.
1. Define the Problem Clearly
Start by asking, “What exactly is the problem?” Define the problem clearly,
and whenever possible, in writing. Remember, accurate diagnosis is half the
cure. Sometimes writing a problem down on a flip chart or white board, and
having everybody agree to the definition of the problem will lead rapidly to
a solution.
Very often, by forcing yourself to define the problem clearly in writing on a
piece of paper in front of you will trigger a logical solution. Fully 50% of
problems can be solved in the definition phase.
What Else is the Problem?
Once you have a clear definition of the problem, you should ask, “What else
is the problem?” Never be satisfied with a problem that has only one
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definition. Keep asking, “What else is the problem?” See if you cannot
develop multiple definitions to a single problem.
Sometimes a large problem is actually a “cluster problem.” This occurs
when the larger problem is actually made up of several smaller problems. By
defining the problem clearly, this enables you to break down the problem
into its constituent parts so that you can solve each of the smaller parts at
once.
The rule is that, in every complex problem, there is usually a single problem
that must be solved before any other problems can be solved. This single,
large problem that must be solved is often not clear or obvious. It requires a
little digging on your part to find it.
The natural tendency of human nature is to jump to conclusions. We see a
problem and we leap to a solution. We leap quickly from the problem to the
solution without considering that we might be jumping from the pan into the
fire. In defining the problem or problems, it is important that you go slowly
at the beginning to make sure that you are not working on the wrong
problem. Solving the wrong problem in the right way will often create a
worse situation than the one you started with.
2. Identify All the Possible Causes
Before seeking a solution, ask, “How did this problem occur?” What are all
the possible causes of the problem? What are the reasons for the problem? It
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is not enough to simply come up with a solution. It is important that you deal
with the underlying causes that created the problem in the first place.
When I started my company some years ago, no matter how busy we were in
the market, we always seemed to have cash flow problems. Every couple of
months, the bank account would be empty and we would have to scramble
around to find the funds to make payroll and cover other bills.
We finally realized that we were lacking a “Cash Management System.” I
learned later that this is one of the most important tools for business or
personal survival and success. It is a long-term monthly projection of your
cash needs, based on your very best estimates of your income and expenses.
Once we had taken the time to project forward a year, based on the seasonal
fluctuations in our revenues, we were able to predict with some accuracy
how much was coming in, how much was going out, and what times of the
year we would have cash shortfalls. Once that cash plan was in place, we
organized lines of credit and financial reserves to make sure that the cash
crisis did not occur again.
Very often, identifying the cause of a problem immediately suggests an
obvious solution that enables you to solve the problem and stop it from
occurring again.
3. Identify All the Possible Solutions
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Before leaping to a conclusion, ask, “What are all the possible solutions?”
What are all the different things that you can do to solve the particular
problem? This is a very important step in the process.
Rather than assuming that there is only one answer, write down as many
different solutions to the problem that you can think of. The more solutions
the better. Beware of a problem for which there is only one solution.
In many cases, the obvious solution is not the best solution. In some cases,
the correct solution is to do the opposite of your initial inclination.
Sometimes, it is to do something radically different. Occasionally the
solution is to do nothing at all.
In developing different solutions to a problem, you should clearly define
your “boundary conditions.” These are the constraints within which you
have to work, and the results that this solution must achieve. Often you can
develop better solutions by defining the minimum and maximum conditions
for the solution before you begin.
What does this solution have to accomplish? If the solution were perfect,
what result would it achieve? How would we know that this was a good
solution? Start with the end in mind. Be clear about what you want to
accomplish with the decision before you decide upon the solution.
4. Make a Decision
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Once you have all the information, make a decision. Select the solution that
looks and feels to be the very best of the solutions available. But before you
go on, ask, “Why is this the best solution? Why is this solution superior to
the others?” The more time you take to think about and study both the
problem and the solution, the better and more accurate your answer will be.
A few minutes spent in careful analysis in problems and solutions can save
you an enormous amount of time when it comes to implementation.
5. What is Your Fallback Solution?
Be sure to ask, “What is our alternative solution?” In other words, once you
have decided on the best solution, be open to the possibility that it will not
work out at all. If that were the case, what would be your “Plan B?” What
would be your fallback position? What would be your alternative or second
solution if your first solution failed?
The process of thinking through an alternative solution is a powerful mental
exercise. It forces you to expand your view of the problem, and all the
possibilities. Very often, by thinking through and developing a fallback
position, you actually improve the original solution. Sometimes, you change
it altogether.
Remember, you are only as free as your well-developed options. The more
alternatives you have developed before you take action, the more effective
you will be when you finally move forward. Keep asking, “What will I do if
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this doesn’t work? What would be my alternative if I turned out to be
wrong? How would I respond if this course of action failed altogether?”
6. Determine the Worst Possible Outcome
Before you implement the solution, ask, “What is the worst possible
outcome of this course of action?” What is the worst possible thing that can
happen if you go ahead with this solution? Very often, the second alternative
you developed turns out to be better than the first choice because the worst
possible consequences of the second solution are not as severe as the worst
possible consequences of the first solution.
In every decision making process, there is a certain element of risk. There is
always uncertainty as to the outcome. There are risks that you can afford to
take and there are risks that you cannot afford to take.
For example, a large-scale advertising campaign can be quite expensive.
Many companies have made the mistake of “betting the bank” and throwing
all their money into something like “Super Bowl” advertising. Their idea
was that, if only a small percentage of viewers were to buy our product, we
will make back all the money we spent in advertising.
But they fail to consider the worst possible outcome. It was that no one
would respond to the advertising at all. And this happened several times. As
a result, the company went bankrupt. There are some risks that you cannot
afford to take.
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7. Assign Specific Responsibility
Once the decision has been made, either assign or accept responsibility for
carrying out the decision. Set a schedule and a deadline. Make it clear to
everyone exactly what is to be done, by whom, and to what schedule.
Many companies make the mistake of solving the problem, coming up with
an excellent solution, assigning responsibility and then leaving the table.
Two weeks or four weeks later they reconvene and nothing has happened.
Why not? No deadline was set. The individual who was assigned
responsibility has gotten sidetracked and busy with other projects. No action
has been taken. Sometimes, this inaction can be disastrous. Once you have
made a decision, assign responsibility, set a deadline and then follow
through. This is the essential part of problem solving.
Focus on Contribution
One of the key time management techniques in working with others is called
a “focus on contribution.” The focus on contribution in an organization is
essential to good communications and excellent teamwork. Good human
relations occur in a company when they are task focused, and aimed at
achieving specific goals, or solving specific problems.
If relationships in the world of work are not task focused, they have a
tendency to become people focused. Instead of being objective and
measurable, they become subjective and personal. As a result, people talk to
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and about each other and about others most of the time. This leads to
enormous losses of time and reductions in efficiency.
Practice Participative Management
Participative management is a great time saver in working with people. It is
one of the best tools that a manager can develop. Participative management
requires that you bring your team together at least once each week for a
general staff meeting. At this staff meeting, everyone talks about what they
are doing, the progress they are making and any problems they are having.
People ask questions of each other, and both decisions are made and
solutions are agreed to.
The interesting discovery of participative management is that, when
someone makes a commitment to do something by a certain deadline in front
of their peers, they will be internally motivated to complete that task. Not
only that, when you bring people together on a regular basis, you can solve
problems, make decisions and clear up misunderstandings faster than almost
any other way. Participative management is an incredible tool that you can
use as a manager or supervisor for your entire career.
Avoid Reverse Delegation
One of the most important time savers in the world of work has to do with
what is called “reverse delegation.” This is where your staff member, to
whom you have delegated the task, delegates the task back to you. Work is
now moving up the chain of command rather than down the chain of
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command. Work is coming up from the subordinate to the boss rather than
from the boss to the subordinate.
You must consciously resist reverse delegation and be aware that employees
are always trying to delegate the job back to you. They use a series of
techniques to which you can become a victim if you are not careful.
One of the ways that an employee delegates a task back to you is by bringing
you a problem and asking you to solve it. They ask, “Can you take care of
this task for me, or get me this information?” Since you are the boss, and
obviously more competent and knowledgeable than they are, you agree to
take care of that for them and get it back to them as quickly as possible. But
then something else comes up, and it goes onto your stack and gets buried
among your other responsibilities.
The Monkey is Now on Your Back
Here is the rule: the person who has the responsibility for the next step in the
job is the one who is responsible. When your staff member asks you to do
something, the doing of which determines them doing their job, they have
delegated the task back to you. The monkey is now on your back. Soon, your
staff member will be coming by to supervise you and to ask you how things
are going. You will now be working for the person who was working for
you. You will be promising and assuring them that you will get their job
done and back to them as quickly as possible.
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The way to resist reverse delegation is to refuse to take the task back, once
you have assigned it. When they ask you to do something, you instead ask,
“What do you think we should do?” Whatever they suggest, you can
comment upon or agree, but whatever it is, you pass it back to them so they
can get on with their job.
Resist Your Natural Tendencies
The natural tendency in working is to go from managing back to operating.
Since you go to where you are today by doing a good job on your way up,
whenever you find yourself under pressure, your natural tendency is to go
back to doing what you were doing before that got you to where you are
today. You must fight this tendency or you will soon find yourself at the
bottom of the food chain, being delegated to by the different members of
your staff.
The definition of a good manager is a person who “gets things done through
others.” Your job is to make sure that other people do the job correctly,
rather than going back and doing it yourself. Push on to others everything
that can possibly be done by them. Once you have delegated and assigned a
task, don’t take it back.
Teach and Train Others
Take the time to train and to teach your subordinates and others how to do
their job. The more you train them, the more you build their confidence so
that you can delegate even more tasks to them. Teaching other people how
