by Raoul Encinas
When I started my career, I was eager to solve problems and proud to be seen as a valuable resource for those around me. It was validating to be known as the “go-to” person for the most challenging, vexing, or thorniest of problems.
As with any strength, however, I became overly reliant on this skill and could not see where it was giving me trouble. That is the nature of blind spots, after all: we cannot see them!
Thankfully, with the help of a skilled coach, my appetite for lifelong learning, and a patient team of supportive colleagues, I strengthened my capabilities as a leader and moved from being the “chief problem solver” to enabling others to better solve their own problems.
Old habits die hard, and I always want to be helpful to those around me when they share their problems. Nowadays I use these questions to determine how I can best add value to a given situation.
1. What's my reaction?
How do you react when someone brings a problem to you? Are you ecstatic, showing a big smile and deep appreciation to the person who brings a messy, ugly problem to your attention? Or do you get upset, showing displeasure and disappointment at the news?
I’ve had more than my share of receiving bad news! Undoubtedly there were times when I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to hear it, or didn’t know what to do or say. Sometimes I’d jump right into “solutioning” mode, when the other person wanted to feel heard and understood.
For me, the first step in problem solving is not focusing on the problem itself—it’s choosing how I react to it. It takes effort, but good leaders don’t see themselves as victims; they accept the facts of the problem and focus on elements which can be affected or influenced. They also recognize which external factors are not within their control. The first thing we can control is internal: our own attitude.
2. How can I reward the messenger?
Over the years, I learned that I’d much rather hear about things as early as possible. To encourage that, I found a way to always be grateful to the person who shares their problem with me. Frequently, the other person is apprehensive about it and is showing courage by bringing you into the loop. The best thing to do in that moment is to empathize, acknowledge, and reward that person for their actions and behavior. Creating a safe environment is essential for this type of interaction.
If you’re not convinced, take a moment and think how you might feel if others didn’t discuss issues, obstacles, and problems with you. If you’re finding out about things second-hand, or too late to do anything about them, it’s time to evaluate the strength of your relationships, credibility, and trust.
3a. Is it a real problem?
Sometimes you are presented with phantom problems that turn out to not be problems at all. As a leader, part of your role may be to identify whether or not a problem truly necessitates your full-blown involvement.
When you have open, transparent, and healthy relationships with your colleagues, you’ll likely fall into situations where you’re not really sure if someone is asking for help. Sometimes they just need to share their frustrations about something, and that it’s safe to do that with you because you won’t judge them.
I’m thankful to have these kinds of working relationships. If I’m not sure what to do or say, or even if is a problem, I’ll say something like “This seems really important to you! Thank you for sharing it with me… before we go further, can you help me? Is this something you’re venting about, need an opinion on, or are seeking reassurance?”
Taking a moment to ask for clarification has saved me countless times from stepping on toes.
3b. Is it really a problem?
There are problems so complex, so filled with ambiguity, and so treacherous that they are virtually unsolvable! Some people call them Wicked Problems, and others like Larry Cuban call them dilemmas:
...a problem is a situation in which a gap is found between what is and
what ought to be. ... How a problem is framed depends on who is doing the defining.
...Dilemmas are messy, complicated, and conflict-filled situations that
require undesirable choices between highly prized values that cannot
be simultaneously or fully-solved.
Dr. Cuban, author of “How Can I Fix It: Finding Solutions and Managing Dilemmas” says problems can be solved, but dilemmas only managed.
Fortunately, I don’t run into wicked problems or dilemmas on a regular basis. If you do, let me know and I can connect you with some experts who specialize in navigating them.
4. Does it need to be solved?
It’s called problem solving, after all, as opposed to problem ignoring, right? Early in my technical career, I’d fall into the trap of trying to fix every problem I came across, regardless of whether it was my responsibility. I thought it demonstrated high accountability and stewardship. Eventually I learned to filter and prioritize.
The first filter I use is to understand how the problem relates to the mission at hand, whether a project deadline or a key client deliverable. As leaders, part of our role is to keep ourselves and our teams focused.
If you and your team run into problems left and right, it’s pretty easy to get distracted by the newest problem that pops up! Take a moment to catch your breath and evaluate whether the presenting problem directly relates to your deadline or deliverable.
Maybe add a second filter to determine the risk if the problem goes unaddressed; regulatory, legal, or compliance-related may take first priority in your industry. For purpose-based organizations, anything that infringes on values and integrity may be another filter.
After using the appropriate filters for your unique situation, you can better prioritize the problems. You might find some legitimate problems that are lower on the list, and trying to resolve them are a distraction from your intended course. It takes courage to let a problem peacefully exist on the sideline, as you keep yourself and your team focused on more important things.
5. Do I need to be the one to solve it?
This was a significant hurdle in my professional development. As I found success in my career, I relied on strengths for which I was recognized and rewarded. To learn that those strengths can become weaknesses was an interesting discovery.
For many of us it is very rewarding to be in problem-solving mode. In fact, our brains are wired for a reward response, and solving problems can feel like a fun game! The downside is that this leads you to become very tactical. When you are too tactical and hyper-focused on solving lots of problems, you can easily lose track of what you’re here to do.
Solving problems directly may not be your highest and best use. After all, leaders are supposed to build the capabilities of others. There are benefits to this approach, as Dustin Rigler shares in this story about engaging the right people in a solution so they demonstrate ownership.
6. How can I help others solve the problem?
For the most part, unless time is of the essence, or I’m specifically asked to intervene in a hands-on way, I’m no longer in direct problem solving mode. I’m more interested in investing the time and effort into strengthening the capabilities of those around me.
Frequently, the so-called solution requires someone else to take action or change their behavior, and that works best when they decide to do that on their own. When people are given the solution, they don’t have the same emotional connection to it as if they got there on their own.
Furthermore, the complexity of some problems means that there is no clear-cut obvious solution. In today’s turbulent business environment, we’re dealing with imperfect information and mountains of ambiguity.
For those reasons, I prefer to use a coaching approach to problem solving, characterized by open-ended questions, observations and feedback, and accountability. In working with professionals in this way, I’ve found that the solutions are generally better and people are more likely to take forward action.
Closing Thought
As the workplace evolves, we’ll need leaders at all levels of organizations who can help each other out with peer-to-peer coaching, feedback, and support. The problems of the future will not be solved by one person alone.
I’m glad I transitioned out of my default “chief problem solver” mode and found a way to help others that worked for me. If you’re stuck or struggling with a business problem and want to chat about it, reach out to me! I’d be happy and honored to help you find a way to solve it.
Thankfully, with the help of a skilled coach, my appetite for lifelong learning, and a patient team of supportive colleagues, I strengthened my capabilities as a leader and moved from being the “chief problem solver” to enabling others to better solve their own problems.
Old habits die hard, and I always want to be helpful to those around me when they share their problems. Nowadays I use these questions to determine how I can best add value to a given situation.
1. What's my reaction?
How do you react when someone brings a problem to you? Are you ecstatic, showing a big smile and deep appreciation to the person who brings a messy, ugly problem to your attention? Or do you get upset, showing displeasure and disappointment at the news?
I’ve had more than my share of receiving bad news! Undoubtedly there were times when I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to hear it, or didn’t know what to do or say. Sometimes I’d jump right into “solutioning” mode, when the other person wanted to feel heard and understood.
For me, the first step in problem solving is not focusing on the problem itself—it’s choosing how I react to it. It takes effort, but good leaders don’t see themselves as victims; they accept the facts of the problem and focus on elements which can be affected or influenced. They also recognize which external factors are not within their control. The first thing we can control is internal: our own attitude.
2. How can I reward the messenger?
Over the years, I learned that I’d much rather hear about things as early as possible. To encourage that, I found a way to always be grateful to the person who shares their problem with me. Frequently, the other person is apprehensive about it and is showing courage by bringing you into the loop. The best thing to do in that moment is to empathize, acknowledge, and reward that person for their actions and behavior. Creating a safe environment is essential for this type of interaction.
If you’re not convinced, take a moment and think how you might feel if others didn’t discuss issues, obstacles, and problems with you. If you’re finding out about things second-hand, or too late to do anything about them, it’s time to evaluate the strength of your relationships, credibility, and trust.
3a. Is it a real problem?
Sometimes you are presented with phantom problems that turn out to not be problems at all. As a leader, part of your role may be to identify whether or not a problem truly necessitates your full-blown involvement.
When you have open, transparent, and healthy relationships with your colleagues, you’ll likely fall into situations where you’re not really sure if someone is asking for help. Sometimes they just need to share their frustrations about something, and that it’s safe to do that with you because you won’t judge them.
I’m thankful to have these kinds of working relationships. If I’m not sure what to do or say, or even if is a problem, I’ll say something like “This seems really important to you! Thank you for sharing it with me… before we go further, can you help me? Is this something you’re venting about, need an opinion on, or are seeking reassurance?”
Taking a moment to ask for clarification has saved me countless times from stepping on toes.
3b. Is it really a problem?
There are problems so complex, so filled with ambiguity, and so treacherous that they are virtually unsolvable! Some people call them Wicked Problems, and others like Larry Cuban call them dilemmas:
...a problem is a situation in which a gap is found between what is and
what ought to be. ... How a problem is framed depends on who is doing the defining.
...Dilemmas are messy, complicated, and conflict-filled situations that
require undesirable choices between highly prized values that cannot
be simultaneously or fully-solved.
Dr. Cuban, author of “How Can I Fix It: Finding Solutions and Managing Dilemmas” says problems can be solved, but dilemmas only managed.
Fortunately, I don’t run into wicked problems or dilemmas on a regular basis. If you do, let me know and I can connect you with some experts who specialize in navigating them.
4. Does it need to be solved?
It’s called problem solving, after all, as opposed to problem ignoring, right? Early in my technical career, I’d fall into the trap of trying to fix every problem I came across, regardless of whether it was my responsibility. I thought it demonstrated high accountability and stewardship. Eventually I learned to filter and prioritize.
The first filter I use is to understand how the problem relates to the mission at hand, whether a project deadline or a key client deliverable. As leaders, part of our role is to keep ourselves and our teams focused.
If you and your team run into problems left and right, it’s pretty easy to get distracted by the newest problem that pops up! Take a moment to catch your breath and evaluate whether the presenting problem directly relates to your deadline or deliverable.
Maybe add a second filter to determine the risk if the problem goes unaddressed; regulatory, legal, or compliance-related may take first priority in your industry. For purpose-based organizations, anything that infringes on values and integrity may be another filter.
After using the appropriate filters for your unique situation, you can better prioritize the problems. You might find some legitimate problems that are lower on the list, and trying to resolve them are a distraction from your intended course. It takes courage to let a problem peacefully exist on the sideline, as you keep yourself and your team focused on more important things.
5. Do I need to be the one to solve it?
This was a significant hurdle in my professional development. As I found success in my career, I relied on strengths for which I was recognized and rewarded. To learn that those strengths can become weaknesses was an interesting discovery.
For many of us it is very rewarding to be in problem-solving mode. In fact, our brains are wired for a reward response, and solving problems can feel like a fun game! The downside is that this leads you to become very tactical. When you are too tactical and hyper-focused on solving lots of problems, you can easily lose track of what you’re here to do.
Solving problems directly may not be your highest and best use. After all, leaders are supposed to build the capabilities of others. There are benefits to this approach, as Dustin Rigler shares in this story about engaging the right people in a solution so they demonstrate ownership.
6. How can I help others solve the problem?
For the most part, unless time is of the essence, or I’m specifically asked to intervene in a hands-on way, I’m no longer in direct problem solving mode. I’m more interested in investing the time and effort into strengthening the capabilities of those around me.
Frequently, the so-called solution requires someone else to take action or change their behavior, and that works best when they decide to do that on their own. When people are given the solution, they don’t have the same emotional connection to it as if they got there on their own.
Furthermore, the complexity of some problems means that there is no clear-cut obvious solution. In today’s turbulent business environment, we’re dealing with imperfect information and mountains of ambiguity.
For those reasons, I prefer to use a coaching approach to problem solving, characterized by open-ended questions, observations and feedback, and accountability. In working with professionals in this way, I’ve found that the solutions are generally better and people are more likely to take forward action.
Closing Thought
As the workplace evolves, we’ll need leaders at all levels of organizations who can help each other out with peer-to-peer coaching, feedback, and support. The problems of the future will not be solved by one person alone.
I’m glad I transitioned out of my default “chief problem solver” mode and found a way to help others that worked for me. If you’re stuck or struggling with a business problem and want to chat about it, reach out to me! I’d be happy and honored to help you find a way to solve it.
 | Written by Raoul Encinas As the Founder of PhosLabs and Co-Founder for PL Coaches, Raoul's mission is to help clients leverage the full potential and capabilities of their existing talent base. He is passionate about serving others and helping them learn more about themselves. He is a committed volunteer, working as an event organizer for Ignite Phoenix, and serving on the boards for Southwest Job Network and City of Phoenix Business & Workforce Development Council. He has trained and coached thousands of individuals through his professional roles and holds a BS in Business Management-Information Technology from Western Governors University. |
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