What's Your Problem?

Problems, problems, problems! Everywhere I go, I hear people complaining that they have so many problems.

I've explained to people for years, "Your job depends on problems." Isn't that true? We're hired to take care of customer service problems, or personnel problems, or computer problems. When we're out of problems, we're out of jobs!

Perhaps it's how we view problems that helps us keep them in perspective. Problems might instead be labeled challenges or opportunities or ways to show creative expertise.

Whatever wording is used, our real job is to provide solutions. How do we become more solution oriented? Here are some ideas:

• Anticipate problems before they happen; many mistakes are predictable and can simply be avoided with some planning.
• View problems that weren't anticipated as positively as possible.
• Investigate the facts but search for the causes.
• Write down any information important for decision making.
• Choose solutions based on available data and the desired results.
• Implement solutions and check results; adjust as needed.

Maybe these suggestions won't always work, but they're necessary in our search for solutions.

For many years, I was a great problem-solver in business. I must have had a big sign on my back that read, "Bring me your problems," because people did. When I was president of a manufacturing and retail chain store operation, I'd be gone for a few days and come back to a line of people ready to drop their problems on me. I accepted. I often felt that I had solved the same problem approximately 50 times.

Today, I'm trying to be a little smarter. I'm asking more questions like:

• What are the results we want?
• Is this a real problem or something else in disguise?
• Have you looked for the problem causing the problem?
• Have you identified all the players in this scenario?
• What do you think the solution is?

As a leader in my business, these questions have helped to ease the problem-solving burden. In the leadership role, one needs to be a constant educator and allow people to grow. People grow through both success and failure. They're going to "miss" on a few solutions. And, of course, the solution to one problem may help them find their next solution. And, for me, that has been the best solution of all.