Managers and supervisors do not earn their money when everything is running smoothly.
Managers and supervisors earn their money when everything is going to shit.
With apologies to Rudyard Kipling, “If you can keep your head while all those about you are losing their minds, then you are truly blessed.”
The real test for leaders is how they handle adversity. The ability to solve problems is the hallmark of an effective leader; this is a learned skill. No leader does it well the first time, second time, or even the hundredth time. Problem-solving ability evolves and is the result of combining a process with perspective. Having the ability to solve problems is one of the most effective tools a good leader can have.
People look to their leaders in times of crisis, if you can be poised and effectively deal with the situation, they will follow your lead and emulate you … if you are calm, and they will be calm.
When you think it seems like certain people just have solutions instantly, know they are using a mental process that uses some or all of the following elements.
TIME
How much time does is there to solve the problem. If a split-second decision is required, you will have to determine the facts, examine alternatives, and make the best decision you can. A line from an old movie demonstrates this very well, “Give me a minute, I’m average; give me an hour, I am very good; give me a day, and I’m unstoppable,” really applies. The key is understanding and using whatever time, you have available well.
PRIORITY
Part of determining the “Facts” for your problem-solving algorithm is knowing what the urgency is of any particular problem. Scarcity of time is a fact in many situations. Effective leaders learn to triage their problems. For example, a color code method works well, a green level problem could potentially be an issue; however, there is lots of time to solve the problem. A yellow level problem is escalating and requires attention and monitoring within the next day or week, and a red level problem means the building is on fire and the situation requires IMMEDIATE attention. Many people often miss how effective leaders can quickly determine correctly the level of urgency when sorting through issues.
PEOPLE
Another key element in identifying the “facts” is knowing who are the people involved in the problem and which human resources are available. It is a rare leader who relies on only their skills to solve problems. Many times when people bring an issue, one of my first comments once they have explained the problem is to ask, “What do you think?” Not only does this help to build your associates, but as they are usually the closest person to the problem their insights can be very helpful in determining a course of action. As well, effective managers use the skills and knowledge of all of their people to help solve issues that occur just like a coach in any sport does.
FACTS
In the time available, an effective leader determines what the relevant details of the problem are. That is the first part; however, determining the facts also includes determining which resources are available to help solve the problem. When possible, depending on the size of the problem, effective leaders ask for other perspectives. They know we all have biases and from one particular viewpoint and appreciate it is easy to miss important details.
ALTERNATIVES
Effective leaders “move around” the problem and look at it from different perspectives. Depending on how much time is available, they might examine previous solutions. They will ask, “What has have been tried before?” and “Did it work?” and, “Will that solution work again,” or “If it failed, what failed? Effective problem solvers also solicit fresh suggestions. The key elements are priority and time. Effective leaders try to create several alternatives and then use “red teams” to evaluate the costs/benefits and potential effectiveness of each alternative. SALESTRAINER.BLOG – USING RED TEAMS
“Turning the sock inside out,” not only refers to the problem, but it also refers to possible alternatives. Looking at both from various angles figuratively is perhaps the most vital lesson. A classic example is in the Marvel film, Captain America. Before Steve Rogers becomes the hero, he is presented with the problem of getting a flag from the top of the flagpole. Instead of trying to scale an unscaleable pole, he looks at the problem and pulls a pin from the pole and the flag falls to the ground, he saw something no one else did.
DECIDE
The adage, “The best decision is the right decision and the second-best decision is the wrong decision,” is important when effectively dealing with problems. A leader’s job is the responsibility to make decisions. Not all of them will be the right one; however, avoiding or not being able to make a decision does not help anyone. Sometimes, choosing not to do anything can be an effective decision; however, that is not the same as avoiding making a decision. During the recent pandemic, we have all seen and suffered through decisions that leaders have made; we need to appreciate, they did their best and followed this process or a similar one. Leadership is not perfect.
COMMUNICATE
When a decision is taken, make sure that people know what is happening. Start with the key people, especially the people experiencing the problem. Then include all of those who are helping to implement the solution. The next step is to inform other people not directly involved in the problem of the solution. The danger with not communicating with this third group is twofold, (1) they may become aware of the problem and start working on their solution, which duplicates or negates what is being done, or (2) they make become aware of the problem and make it worse. For example, my father was a firefighter for many years. At one particular chimney fire, the first firefighters turned off the hydro as they entered the building to extinguish the fire. While they were occupied, another person saw what was happening and took it upon themselves to be helpful and turned the power back on so the firefighters could use the lights to see what was happening, that person very nearly killed four firefighters because they did not know what was happening.
EXPECTATIONS
Don’t expect every problem solution to go smoothly or even to work. Unexpected things can happen, you may not have all of the important facts, and as a result, your solution may fail. Expect this, it will happen and happen often as you learn how to solve problems. Always learn from each situation. Afterward ask: What did I do right, what did I do wrong, and what would I or we do differently next time. Depending on the impact of the problem, having you or your team look at “What did we learn?” may be the most important lesson of your leadership.
Your ability to handle the problems that occur in any situation is truly a measure of your effectiveness as a leader. Picking a solution out of the air may work occasionally, however, having a solid mechanism or process combined with the ability to see the problem from different perspectives will be far more successful over time. When problems occur, “work the problem”, look at it from different angles, beware of the time that you have, and don’t be afraid to turn the sock inside out.
Good luck,
Paul