problem solving Archives - Page 2 of 2

28
Oct 19
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A Problem with Meeting Problems

Tags : efficiency meeting management metrics problem solving

There are a lot of reasons why meetings are held. Sometimes it is about ensuring a message is heard and understood. In other cases, it is about problem solving. Are meeting problems bringing you down?

When you look to the task force, the committee, or the project management update there is a direct objective in mind. Objectives should be connected to goals, metrics, and measurement.

Picking Low-Hanging Fruit

Part of the meeting then is about calling out the goals and objectives and gathering updates about status and measurements. Items that are deficient or not yet completed are open for discussion.

People may bring excuses or try to cast blame, yet often, many problems are being solved each day. The difficult reality is that the tough problems tend to linger. If they were easy to solve, they probably would have been solved by now.

Instead of a meeting about updates, you may be having a meeting about the challenges, the hard parts, or the sticking points.

Procrastination often leads to doing the simplest tasks first. It is a form of picking the low-hanging fruit.

Meeting Problems

Better may be to address the toughest parts up front.

A tough part broken down into smaller pieces is of course easier to manage and creates a sense of progress and accomplishment. Instead, often, the tough part is set aside. It is not broken down into smaller pieces. It’s just waiting.

Waiting on problems to fix themselves sometimes happens, yet for most of our workplace challenges this seldom occurs.

A problem that isn’t going to get fixed easily is often more about the assumed depth, energy required, or collaboration effort than it is about its size.

Meeting problems are often tough because the easy parts are nearly always tackled first. If you want to improve the efficiency of the meeting come prepared to tackled the big problems in smaller pieces.

Old news, yet, have you considered the flow of your meetings?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

21
Jun 19
-

Managing Problems and Your Job Description?

Tags : managing problem solving problems strategic tactical

Does your job description include managing problems? For many, this is an assumption. A presumed duty and competency requirement.

There seems to be two schools to navigating workplace problems.

Which School?

The first school of thought is, managing problems is our job. As a supervisor, manager, or other workplace leader, we solve problems.

Having a strong awareness to solve problems can be a good thing. However, like anything, too much may be too much.

Are you spending your day fighting fires? Are you proud to be able to fix and solve almost anything? Being a good problem solver is great and something to be proud of. At the same time, always tactically fighting fires does not give the operation time to be strategic.

Another school of thought is that problems are not my problem. Some workplace leaders believe that problems are a distraction and that they shouldn’t have any. Theoretically, you can see how they may come to that conclusion. In reality, problem solving is always going to be part of their job.

Managing Problems

The best leaders are striking a balance between the tactical approaches of problem solving and deploying strategy. They understand that solving problems matters and is important, yet at the same time strategy will make a difference for better future positioning.

Is problem solving an assumption in your job description or does it literally exist? In either case your ability to solve problems may be a big part of why you have the job.

Never assume that problems are something you shouldn’t have.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

24
Sep 18
-

Finding Solutions To Problems We Shouldn’t Have

Tags : finding solutions learning mistakes opportunities problem solving

One problem for many managers is that they believe they shouldn’t have any. Finding solutions to problems comes with the territory. How would you rate your ability to find solutions?

Most workplace problems, the ones that are still a problem, exist because they aren’t easily solved. If they were, they would be solved by now.

We’ve all probably heard that when you learn from mistakes, and in the future do it differently you’ve found some value in the misfortune. It is a good argument and good advice.

Once Upon a Time

When we learned to ride a bike, we made some mistakes. We learned to balance, pedal, and lean into the turns.

Taking the math exam probably unveiled some problems. Things like accuracy, trying to solve the problems the quickest. Hurrying because you don’t want to be last. Sometimes even our own handwriting caused errors.

We had to learn to slow down, budget our time appropriately, and reflect on our own work.

Later in life we started to learn more about navigating situations that involved people. We learned about sharing, caring, and listening more to understand instead of just respond.

Most of what we’ve done has included problem solving. Hits and misses, mistakes made, and changes put in place, then we try again.

Life can wear us down. In grade school we probably proclaimed “not fair.” Then an adult adjusted for fairness. Was that fair, or just another twist to the dilemma?

Finding Solutions

Finding solutions isn’t always easy.

As a workplace leader, regardless of title, position, or organizational position, we may accept that finding solutions is part of our job.

The solution may be learning a new way to balance, pedaling different to save energy, and leaning just right into the curves.

Solutions may involve accuracy, patience, and organizational skills.

We may have to navigate differently. Listen more, learn something new, and change habits.

If someone suggested it would be easy, they were wrong.

That is the great thing about leading. You find a way, or you invent one.

Problems are just invitation to get started. They are opportunities in disguise.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

01
Feb 17
2

Anchored Decisions and Getting Unstuck

Tags : anchors decision making leadership problem solving

Do you make anchored decisions? As people we often consciously or subconsciously make decisions based on data. The data that we develop trust in, belief, and view as reliable might be the exact thing that keeps us stuck.

Imagine for a moment that you are sitting in a nearby coffee shop that also operates a drive-through service for coffee, doughnuts, bagels, and breakfast sandwiches. While sipping your favorite morning beverage you observe many cars using the drive through service.

Next imagine that a friend enters the same coffee shop where you are sitting. Your friend tells you that the drive through service is jammed with cars every morning and then asks, “Guess how many cars pass through before 10:00 AM?”

Before you can answer, your friend says, “Normally around 350!”

Since you’re business minded (you are, right?) you start thinking about the average purchase per car. You consider a cup of coffee, a doughnut, bagel, or sandwich, some will buy more, some less, and sometimes there is more than one person per car. You establish a simple estimate of $10.00.

The coffee shop opens at 6:00 AM and your friend told you 350 (the anchor) cars pass through. You’ve estimated $10.00 per car and when you do the math you get $3,500.00 of drive through business by 10:00AM. Does this seem reasonable?

Anchored Decisions

How we make decisions, personally or professionally is often impacted by the data set that we observe, read about, or look up on the web. It might also be influenced by word-of-mouth, a sign, or an advertisement. The data might be very accurate or the data might be unreliable.

Imagine the scenario just presented only this time imagine that the real number of cars passing through is closer to 150. So the drive through is only bringing in, on average, around $1,500.00 of revenue during this period of time. This is a significant difference, it is $2,000.00 less!

So what does all of this mean to you?

It’s quite simple actually. As a living breathing, walking, talking, and thinking human being you make anchored decisions. You do it, and I do it, everybody does it.

Anchoring Applied

Imagine you get a new corporate account in your sales job. You look up the history of the account and you discover that last year they purchased $100,000.00 worth of product. What are they going to purchase this year? What is your best guess and you must give an answer.

Chances are good you’ll anchor to that $100k and you might guess $110k, or maybe go big with $125k. You goal becomes to sell them $125k, but perhaps in reality they might have the potential to be a $500k account. You’re going to miss out on a lot of business.

Now imagine this, you hear that the average dinner for two in your hometown costs $45.00, you hear that the average family of four spends $180.00 per week at the local grocery market, and the average price of a new pair of shoes is $75.00.

What will you spend when going out to eat or going shopping? What will you anchor to? Certainly you would likely base your estimates on the averages, and this of course seems reasonable, but what if it isn’t?

Get Unstuck

Anchored decisions often represent the way people (or businesses) become stuck. They limit their thinking, they use the data set, they listen to what others suggest or recommend.

What are the limits for you personally? Are you average, or slightly better? Where do you want to be? What is the data?

If you own a business, what was your revenue last year? What numbers are competitors turning in each year? How much can you sell or how much can you earn?

If you are a supervisor, manager, or other professional that is charged with leading in your organization how are you anchoring your department or team? Are you stuck with the same numbers or other data?

When you consider the anchors we might use, you just might realize how you got stuck.

Get unstuck.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

26
Jan 17
-

Solving Problems, The Line Starts Here

Tags : employee engagement motivation opportunities problem solving

People seem to bring forward more problems than they do solutions. Solving problems seems to be the way we get things done, how we improve our products, our services, or how we make it through each day.

Outside of our organization we pay people to our solve problems. A doctor, an attorney, technical support, a plumber, or an auto mechanic, we find them or they market to us.

Back inside our organization individuals and teams often feel trapped, paralyzed, and unable to break free from problems. As a result some will never break free. They’ll only breakdown.

It’s the customer service representative, the technical support guru, the office manager, the sales manager, the human resources department, the procurement group, and the small business CEO. Any or all of them can get caught up in being the problem solver.

Is that how it should work?

Solving Problems

At times I’ll ask workforce teams, “What makes up your day?” It’s not uncommon for someone to metaphorically shout out, “Fighting fires!” There is almost a sense of pride and confidence in the problem solvers voice.

For the solution seeker it’s a match. It’s an invitation, a recognized opportunity to bring forward something they feel they cannot solve or would rather not be bothered to figure out. In addition, there is always the excuse from the solution seeker, “It’s not my job,” or “That’s what they’re paid to do.”

Problem solvers tell stories about a line of people at their door, or of the revolving door, and of their frustration with not getting their real work done. For them, inappropriately and often by unconscious behavior they’ve metaphorically hung a sign that reads, “The line starts here.”

Invite More Opportunities

Solving problems is important for businesses. Internally when problems become the habit, and opportunities only seem to create more problems, business slows, sometimes it halts, or as a result of chronic turmoil, it goes away forever.

Perhaps the focus should be more on becoming aware of opportunities, seeking them, pursuing them, and celebrating them. Instead employees often find themselves focused on what didn’t work and consequently they are saturated with negativity and see everything as a problem.

The Solution

Consider focusing more on your successes, what works, and what you’re doing right. Build on your talents, your core competencies, and seek the opportunities that align closely with them.

Approach your work and the mission of your business by being more strategic. Use tactics that pursue strategy, not just tactics that fight fires.

Do you really want the motivation, the energy, the excitement, and the worker engagement? If yes, open your door for more opportunities, but do it strategically, tactfully, and by invitation.

Be careful what you invite.

Start a new line.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

10
Jan 17
-

Solving Workforce Problems, Should You Triangulate Your Approach?

Tags : critical thinking problem solving solutions triangulation workforce

A solution is what most people want. Often our most complex workforce problems go unsolved because if they were easily solved, then they wouldn’t really be a problem would they?

Problem solving can be fun, especially when it is just difficult enough to be stimulating but not so challenging that you get frustrated.

Unfortunately sometimes the problems become so difficult that we get frustrated, we might feel like giving up, or we might have to dig deeper to discover additional knowledge or gain additional expertise.

Many of our most challenging problems cannot be solved with a one size fits all approach. We would often like to believe that they can, we often approach them like they can, but then sometimes reality sets in and we come up noticeably short.

One solution might be to triangulate your approach.

Triangulation

The idea of triangulation to solve problems could have several different meanings, but triangulation by definition typically refers to the idea of having two or more pieces of information, and then using that information to calculate the information you are missing. I believe our GPS and navigation systems use this or a similar methodology with satellites and ground position.

How is this idea connected with solving problems in the workplace?

Setting aside design and engineering challenges which likely already involve the use of complex mathematical calculations to solve problems, we might try to combine several known approaches that develop data that would allow us to make more informed choices or predictions for probable outcomes.

By doing this we have the opportunity to validate our information and potentially understand the most probable fix.

How does it work?

Lets assume for a moment that we have a number of choices for determining why employee turnover ratios are high. We could survey employees, we could conduct individual interviews, or we could use focus groups and perhaps many other variations of this type of work to collect data in an attempt to understand solutions for reducing turnover.

In most cases, largely because of time and resources, an organization would choose only one method or a single approach. However, if we would choose two or more well proven approaches (a sort of double check) the information might be considered more valid and reliable.

Doing this means you’ve triangulated your approach with two or more pieces of data that will point to a solution.

Triangulating your approach isn’t the easiest and it doesn’t come with the lowest initial cost, but the long-term benefits could easily overshadow the short-term costs.

What do you think, should you triangulate your approach?

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Newer posts→

Tag Archives: problem solving

Oct 19

-

Picking Low-Hanging Fruit

Meeting Problems

Jun 19

-

Which School?

Managing Problems

Sep 18

-

Once Upon a Time

Finding Solutions

Feb 17

Anchored Decisions

Anchoring Applied

Get Unstuck

Jan 17

-

Solving Problems

Invite More Opportunities

The Solution

Jan 17

-

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