Getting to the Root of Your Issues

In any business, issues are going to arise- obstacles, problems, challenges, kerfluffles. Your ability to succeed is directly proportional to your ability to solve those issues.

Issues

Most leaders/teams do more discussing than they do solving. This can be frustrating and exhausting for everyone involved, especially when the work load is heavy, time is limited and efficiency is crucial.

What's draining your energy isn’t the work, it’s your unresolved issues. The key to a better, more proactive way of operating is to create solutions for those issues and take a "small, yet consistent baby steps" approach towards positive change. As Gino Wickman, author of Traction notes: “It is less important what you decide than it is that you decide.”

Follow the steps below to get to the root of your issues and create effective solutions that will solve the issue for good AND for the good of the Company:

STEP 1: Identify the Issue

• Create an Issues list (this should be an ongoing list)
• Perhaps, start with your biggest, most pressing issue
  • addressing based on priority may knock a few others off the list
• If you can’t decide, choose the issue that is a roadblock to achieving your goals
• Choose 1 to discuss

STEP 2: Discuss the Issue

• Have an open and honest conversation with your Team
• Gather input from everyone involved and listen without judgement
  • thoughts, ideas, solutions
• Listen more, speak less
• BEWARE of tangents: "diverging from an original purpose or course; see also irrelevant" (source: the dictionary)
• Get to the root of the issue, the underlying cause (not the symptom)
  • People issue
  • System/Process Issue
  • Core Values Issue
• State the real issue

STEP 3: Create a solution

• Gather input again, this time focused on solutions
• Listen without judgment and make sure everyone has a voice in the conversation
• 1 person, the Leader/Manager/Owner, has the final say to make a decision that will move everyone forward and best support the overall Company Vision; such a decision may look like:
  • a solution that requires action (go to Step 4)
  • a new awareness that is evoked (resulting in a new standard; go to Step 4)
  • more research and information is required to solve the issue (in which case, the issue remains on the list and Team agrees to move on, for now, and revisit at the next meeting)

STEP 4: Document & Implement the solution: a new system, process, policy, rule, guideline, standard, SOP

• Present the final solution to your Team
• If applicable, get signatures from all, agreeing to the solution
• Set the solution in motion and get everyone rowing in the same direction!

Issues will continue to pop-up, and you can continue to get really good at solving them. Consistently take these 4 steps and you'll begin to have a more smooth, steady and enjoyable work experience! 

Not sure how to get started? Feel like you need a little more support in how to solve your issues? I'm here to help!

Click HERE to schedule a Complimentary 60min Discovery Call today!