One of my two selected topics focuses on solutions.
In my preliminary research, I ran across an article in Business Insider, “Nine Steps to Effective Business Problem Solving” by Martin Zwilling. As Zwilling writes, managing any company is all about problem solving. Every employee at every level of the company is constantly evaluating issues and scenarios, coming up with solutions, and implementing them to benefit the company and customers. However, just because everyone participates in the decision making process does not mean everyone has a natural proclivity at finding the best solution for the problem.
In my case, I struggle with ‘solving’ an issue before the person presenting the problem has finished speaking. I need to develop a method where I can process the problem, understand the underlying issues, and identify a couple possible solutions before I jump to a single answer.
Based on Brian Tracy’s “The Power of Self-Discipline,” Zwilling defines the decision making process in his words:
- Take the time to define the problem clearly.
- Pursue alternate paths on “facts of life” and opportunities.
- Challenge the definition from all angles.
- lteratively question the cause of the problem.
- Identify multiple possible solutions.
- Prioritize potential solutions.
- Make a decision.
- Assign responsibility.
- Set a measure for the solution.
Looking at Zwilling’s descriptions of each separate step and my weaknesses, the areas I can most improve when finding a solution are: pausing to understand the problem (no jumping to conclusions!), defining the root cause of the problem, prioritizing potential solutions, and measuring the solution.
These are the four pieces of the decision making process I will research and share in subsequent blog posts. Four pieces that I will use to create my own map of finding ‘golden’ solutions to problems.
Along with further research of the topic, I will be putting my research into practice while at work. My first practice is recognizing when I need to make a decision and simply taking a step back to fully absorb the situation and context of the problem without jumping to conclusions. Look for a story on how I handle this test at work in a subsequent post.