2. Identify All the Possible Causes
Before seeking a solution, ask, “How did this problem occur?” What are all the possible causes of the problem? What are the reasons for the problem? It 292
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is not enough to simply come up with a solution. It is important that you deal with the underlying causes that created the problem in the first place.
When I started my company some years ago, no matter how busy we were in the market, we always seemed to have cash flow problems. Every couple of months, the bank account would be empty and we would have to scramble around to find the funds to make payroll and cover other bills.
We finally realized that we were lacking a “Cash Management System.” I learned later that this is one of the most important tools for business or personal survival and success. It is a long-term monthly projection of your cash needs, based on your very best estimates of your income and expenses.
Once we had taken the time to project forward a year, based on the seasonal fluctuations in our revenues, we were able to predict with some accuracy how much was coming in, how much was going out, and what times of the year we would have cash shortfalls. Once that cash plan was in place, we organized lines of credit and financial reserves to make sure that the cash crisis did not occur again.
Very often, identifying the cause of a problem immediately suggests an obvious solution that enables you to solve the problem and stop it from occurring again.
3. Identify All the Possible Solutions
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Before leaping to a conclusion, ask, “What are all the possible solutions?”
What are all the different things that you can do to solve the particular problem? This is a very important step in the process.
Rather than assuming that there is only one answer, write down as many different solutions to the problem that you can think of. The more solutions the better. Beware of a problem for which there is only one solution.
In many cases, the obvious solution is not the best solution. In some cases, the correct solution is to do the opposite of your initial inclination.
Sometimes, it is to do something radically different. Occasionally the solution is to do nothing at all.
In developing different solutions to a problem, you should clearly define your “boundary conditions.” These are the constraints within which you have to work, and the results that this solution must achieve. Often you can develop better solutions by defining the minimum and maximum conditions for the solution before you begin.
What does this solution have to accomplish? If the solution were perfect, what result would it achieve? How would we know that this was a good solution? Start with the end in mind. Be clear about what you want to accomplish with the decision before you decide upon the solution.
4. Make a Decision
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Once you have all the information, make a decision. Select the solution that looks and feels to be the very best of the solutions available. But before you go on, ask, “Why is this the best solution? Why is this solution superior to the others?” The more time you take to think about and study both the problem and the solution, the better and more accurate your answer will be.
A few minutes spent in careful analysis in problems and solutions can save you an enormous amount of time when it comes to implementation.
5. What is Your Fallback Solution?
Be sure to ask, “What is our alternative solution?” In other words, once you have decided on the best solution, be open to the possibility that it will not work out at all. If that were the case, what would be your “Plan B?” What would be your fallback position? What would be your alternative or second solution if your first solution failed?
The process of thinking through an alternative solution is a powerful mental exercise. It forces you to expand your view of the problem, and all the possibilities. Very often, by thinking through and developing a fallback position, you actually improve the original solution. Sometimes, you change it altogether.
Remember, you are only as free as your well-developed options. The more alternatives you have developed before you take action, the more effective you will be when you finally move forward. Keep asking, “What will I do if 295
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this doesn’t work? What would be my alternative if I turned out to be wrong? How would I respond if this course of action failed altogether?”
6. Determine the Worst Possible Outcome
Before you implement the solution, ask, “What is the worst possible outcome of this course of action?” What is the worst possible thing that can happen if you go ahead with this solution? Very often, the second alternative you developed turns out to be better than the first choice because the worst possible consequences of the second solution are not as severe as the worst possible consequences of the first solution.
In every decision making process, there is a certain element of risk. There is always uncertainty as to the outcome. There are risks that you can afford to take and there are risks that you cannot afford to take.
For example, a large-scale advertising campaign can be quite expensive.
Many companies have made the mistake of “betting the bank” and throwing all their money into something like “Super Bowl” advertising. Their idea was that, if only a small percentage of viewers were to buy our product, we will make back all the money we spent in advertising.
But they fail to consider the worst possible outcome. It was that no one would respond to the advertising at all. And this happened several times. As a result, the company went bankrupt. There are some risks that you cannot afford to take.
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7. Assign Specific Responsibility
Once the decision has been made, either assign or accept responsibility for carrying out the decision. Set a schedule and a deadline. Make it clear to everyone exactly what is to be done, by whom, and to what schedule.
Many companies make the mistake of solving the problem, coming up with an excellent solution, assigning responsibility and then leaving the table.
Two weeks or four weeks later they reconvene and nothing has happened.
Why not? No deadline was set. The individual who was assigned responsibility has gotten sidetracked and busy with other projects. No action has been taken. Sometimes, this inaction can be disastrous. Once you have made a decision, assign responsibility, set a deadline and then follow through. This is the essential part of problem solving.
Focus on Contribution
One of the key time management techniques in working with others is called a “focus on contribution.” The focus on contribution in an organization is essential to good communications and excellent teamwork. Good human relations occur in a company when they are task focused, and aimed at achieving specific goals, or solving specific problems.
If relationships in the world of work are not task focused, they have a tendency to become people focused. Instead of being objective and measurable, they become subjective and personal. As a result, people talk to 297
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and about each other and about others most of the time. This leads to enormous losses of time and reductions in efficiency.
Practice Participative Management
Participative management is a great time saver in working with people. It is one of the best tools that a manager can develop. Participative management requires that you bring your team together at least once each week for a general staff meeting. At this staff meeting, everyone talks about what they are doing, the progress they are making and any problems they are having.
People ask questions of each other, and both decisions are made and solutions are agreed to.
The interesting discovery of participative management is that, when someone makes a commitment to do something by a certain deadline in front of their peers, they will be internally motivated to complete that task. Not only that, when you bring people together on a regular basis, you can solve problems, make decisions and clear up misunderstandings faster than almost any other way. Participative management is an incredible tool that you can use as a manager or supervisor for your entire career.
Avoid Reverse Delegation
One of the most important time savers in the world of work has to do with what is called “reverse delegation.” This is where your staff member, to whom you have delegated the task, delegates the task back to you. Work is now moving up the chain of command rather than down the chain of 298
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command. Work is coming up from the subordinate to the boss rather than from the boss to the subordinate.
You must consciously resist reverse delegation and be aware that employees are always trying to delegate the job back to you. They use a series of techniques to which you can become a victim if you are not careful.