You have probably heard countless times, “Bring solutions, not problems.” However, there are several downsides to this approach that you may not be aware of.
Downsides
❌ Not Every Problem Has An Easy Solution — Self explanatory
⏱️ Delay Problem Solving — Team members wait to surface issues until they’re full-blown crises.
🫣 Hides Critical Issues — Can cause team members to shut down in fear, and leave out important context and critical information.
⚠️ Damage Psychological Safety — Team members no longer feel safe admitting they don’t know.
💥 Poor Solutions — Initial solutions may not account for the root cause. Additionally, brainstorming and discussion typically increases the solution’s quality.
On the other hand, Exceptional Leaders take the following approach:
💡 Create a Safe Environment — Encourage their team members to share and communicate openly.
💡 Focus on Root Cause Analysis — Ensure the solution addresses the issues by clearly identifying the problem.
💡 Encourage Team To Discuss — Promote conversations amongst the team about problems, so their approach is discussion first and then solution, to avoid shortcuts and suboptimal solutions.
Rapid change and increased complexity and par for the course in tech environments. As a result, effective problem-solving has never been more important for organizational success. That’s why a focus only on hastily proposing solutions runs the risk of increasing stress, stifling candid communication, missing vital insights, and masking deeper issues.
💎 Exceptional Leader Practice:
⭐ Welcome Problems Without Solutions
⭐ Promote Open Communication
⭐ Support Collective Solutioning
⭐️ Model Admitting When You Don’t Have The Answer
⭐️ IMPORTANT: Check On Your Team & Colleagues — this time of year can be both joyful and challenging. 🙏🏾
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