One of the most common supervisor complaints is that “fighting fires” consumes most of the work day. Hearing about problems, asking for information, deciding what must be done, and assigning tasks to staff members prevents supervisors from thinking strategically or even finishing their own work.
How can you stop the madness? Change your culture from dependency to empowerment. When a unit engages its staff in problem solving as part of their work, everyone is more motivated, performance improves, and the habit of owning and resolving issues at the front line is cultivated.
Leaders at every level often enable the culture of dependency through a combination of blind spots and bad habits. Here are seven ways leaders may develop necessary traits as part of the conscious effort to build a problem solving culture.
- Prize problems; don’t bury them. Problem solving begins with the ability to acknowledge issues and see them clearly without judgment. When a leader treats problems as crises, staff tends to hide problems.
- Actively look for problems. Don’t assume things are running smoothly just because there are no complaints. Staff and customers may be so accustomed to process difficulties, they assume no one cares.
- Don’t hardwire problems into policy. When leaders throw their hands up in surrender at complex, wasteful processes, they teach staff to create and rely on costly work-arounds rather than address core issues.
- Strive to create simple, straightforward processes. It should be easy for staff and customers to understand how to get thing right. No one benefits from ambiguity or obscurity.
- Small things matter. Encourage staff to concentrate on and fix nagging issues well within their sphere of influence.
- Model methodical problem solving behaviors. Most leaders pride themselves on their problem solving abilities. Upon closer look, leaders frequently rely on instinct rather than data. They fail to define the real problem; they rely on instinct rather than facts; and they jump to conclusions before asking questions.
- Don’t confuse decisiveness with problem solving. Under pressure, many leaders tend to rush into action without taking time either to reflect or investigate.
Additionally, leaders must find ways to encourage staff to actively participate in the culture of problem solving. Here are some ways to break free from a culture of dependency.
- Trust first. Show trust in your staff by giving them both the resources and authority to solve problems.
- Ask staff to bring ideas for solutions along with complaints. Staff may be accustomed to simply going to the leader with the problem and expecting to receive a fix.
- Give staff space to do things differently. Allow other ideas and methods than your own to be implemented.
- Allow them to manage without you. Stop calling in and checking up when on vacation or taking a personal day.
Growing a culture of problem solving away from a culture of dependency is possible! The time and effort spent pays off handsomely in engagement and improved performance.
As we finish the year with our last installment of what key elements you want to see in your culture; whether it be Coaching, Visioning, and/or Problem Solving, please remember that as the leader of your unit, you inspire, lead, and guide your team to operate at its full potential. Let the new year bring with it a sense of renewal and purpose!
The following are workshops and books that may help you in developing a Culture of Problem Solving!
Recommended Workshops and Books
Leading Effective Teams - Successful leaders rely on their work groups to create success. But effective teamwork doesn't occur in a vacuum of leadership. Leaders must take positive steps to create an empowering climate and influence the team's direction. By the end of this workshop, leaders will be able to:
· Identify what characteristics team members value in team leaders.
· Recognize the challenges and benefits of a diverse team.
· Define the four stages of team development.
· Explain the leader's role in differing stages of team development.
· Identify and analyze the issues critical to team start-ups.
· Explain different team decision making models.
· Apply the appropriate decision making model to real situations.
· Facilitate successful consensus decision making meetings.
· Structure successful meetings.
· Identify team roles.
· Recognize common team behaviors.
· Manage poor team behaviors.
· Keep the team organized.
· Manage team conflict.
· Empower teams to take the lead.
For additional consultation or class instruction please contact: Debra Graham
Next scheduled class time(s):
· Tuesday, January 13, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
· Wednesday, June 17, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
Group Problem Solving - You and your co-workers encounter a range of range of problems at work. During this workshop, we will explore a quick and easy 3 stage problem solving process; identify strengths and weaknesses at each step of the process; and create action plans for improvement. By the end of the course, you will be able to:
· Identify the steps of the problem-solving model.
· Understand roles and tasks in group problem solving.
· Write a problem statement.
· Analyze the possible and probable causes of a problem.
· Use brainstorming and fishbone diagrams to generate ideas.
· Gather data using check sheets, flow charts, and interviews.
· Identify and choose the best solution using pro/con, criteria checks, and decision matrices.
· Plan actions and assign responsibilities using action plans.
· Evaluate results through systematic follow-up.
For additional consultation or class instruction please contact: Debra Graham
Next scheduled class time(s):
· Thursday, February 12, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
· Friday, May 1, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
Thinking Critically - Reasoning is the process of examining data (facts, information, evidence, observations, and experiences) and drawing inferences, judgments, and conclusions from the data. Some people argue that by definition reasoning is always critical. However, the reality is that we confine much of our reasoning to the surface; we quickly identify the problem and then implement a solution that seems to solve it. Too often, we attack the symptom of the problem short-circuiting the reasoning process and any creativity. By the end of this workshop, you will learn to:
· Understand the basic principles of critical thinking.
· Consider the implications of the problems and proposed solutions.
· Practice applying principles of critical thinking to a problem.
· Examine ways to enhance creativity.
· Understand and learn how to avoid mental bias.
· Recognize obstacles to creativity.
· Practice applying creative thinking to a problem.
For additional consultation or class instruction please contact: Debra Graham
Next scheduled class time(s):
· Friday, January 16, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
· Friday, June 19, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
Communicating with Success - During this workshop, we will explore basic communication issues. By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
· Define the three communication modes.
· Cite barriers to effective communication.
· Explain the concept of distinct communication styles.
· Define active listening.
· Use active listening techniques.
· Define non-verbal communication issues.
· Use non-verbal techniques to improve workplace communication.
For additional consultation or class instruction please contact: Maria Fischer-Boothe
Next scheduled class time(s):
· Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - 8:30am Register now »
· Monday, June 8, 2015 - 1:00pm Register now »
Recommended Reading Materials
The regularity with which the term 'solutions' is used in management speak suggests that management is largely about problem solving. To suggest that thinking creatively is a useful skill in solving a problem may be stating the obvious, but experience tells us that under pressure, managers tend to fall back on the 'tried and tested' rather than the new and creative.
This text provides an essential introduction to the ideas and skills of solving problems creatively. It demonstrates:
- how and why people are blocked in their thinking
- how this impairs the creative problem solving process
- how creative problem solving techniques can help overcome these difficulties
Theories of creative thinking are critically examined and utilized to explore the variety of techniques that can be employed to discover insights into difficult management problems. Using case studies and case histories together with extensive diagrams, examples and thought-provoking questions, Creative Problem Solving for Managers provides the most up-to-date and extensive approach to this important topic.
This book provides a set of proven and easy-to-use procedures for conducting problem-solving meetings more efficiently and productively, with less frustration, effort, and conflict.
The effectiveness of conventional meetings is seriously limited by such factors as the added time required for the use of in-meeting rather than pre-meeting introduction of ideas; meeting time being allocated on the basis of the order in which individuals get the floor, rather than on the relevance and importance of the ideas being presented; an individual's fear of being punished for publicly opposing the ideas of a boss or other important person; reluctance on the part of low-status members to contribute; the pursuit of personal objectives on group time; time required to brief absentees, latecomers, and consultants on what has transpired; and compulsive talkers.
Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute by Ken Blanchard, John Carlos, Alan Randolph
Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute tells the story of a young manager whose attempts to turn his troubled company around through traditional top-down, command-and-control management are failing. Reluctantly, he contacts an expert in empowerment, even though he feels like he's already tried that too. Step by step, the expert helps him understand why his past and present efforts have fallen short and exactly what he needs to do to create an empowered workforce. The process as it unfolds is complex, paradoxical and counterintuitive but well worth the effort.
The introduction dispels the notion that empowerment is a bygone fad. No matter what its name, the essential concept-that organizations can achieve extraordinary results by recognizing and taking advantage of the skills, experience, and knowledge already existing in the organization-will always be relevant.
Although sometimes arduous, the journey to empowerment is well worth making. In fact, unleashing the power of people in an organization may be the only way to continue to do business in a competitive, complicated marketplace.