Problem Solving vs. Problem Identification
Leaders Need to be Problem Solvers
Problem-solving is why consultants are often brought into an organization. My 40 years of consultative support and advisory services is the basis of this editorial.
What often occurs is for the consultant to come in and actively listen to what the problem is all about. This is important, in fact critical, for the engagement to be successful.
After meeting with the individual or group that brought you in, the assessment process begins. Many areas may be looked at, but a recurring theme is that people are ready and eager to share with the consultant, again and again, what the problem is all about.
The reason to meet initially should be to understand the problem and to understand any variation in the problem identification among stakeholder individuals or groups, but at some point, there evolves a consensus on what the problem is. What is more challenging is moving beyond problem identification.
There is a desire, sometimes displayed as a need to commit meeting time to once again, focusing on problem identification, and constituents are energized by the opportunity to once again review why there is this problem.
Problem-solving, however, is the key to making the workplace better, to move forward, to be productive, and to move on. Problem-solving is tricky though because it involves looking forward rather than looking back. There is clarity in looking back. Not so easy to look forward.
Also, problem-solving also often involves change. Change is not an easy notion to get comfortable with and may affect you, your comfort zone, your friends, or your security. None of these is very appealing because they each involve threats of some sort. What is most challenging in problem-solving is to see, present affirmatively, and embrace the notion of opportunity rather than threat.
This transition from problem identification to problem-solving is a critical transition and is most effective if done as soon as possible and done in the context of opportunity rather than threat.
When you meet, commit to spending the majority of your time on problem-solving, and limit the revisit time of problem identification, after there is consensus on problem identification.
Problem-solving is the key. Embrace it. This is a challenge of leadership. Leaders are the people providing the vision and action plan to solve problems. They provide hope by embracing opportunity. Leaders are meant to be problem solvers. Be a problem solver.
