Someone once said businesses are all about solving people’s problems at a profit. Small business owners are constantly putting out fires. In many instances, they head multiple departments, which continually require attention. This makes it crucial to acquire problem-solving techniques.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name ‘Steve Jobs?’ It’s probably Apple, right? And for a good reason.
Steve Jobs changed the game for the industry. He led the Apple company in developing groundbreaking products, including the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. However, if we look closer, we see that Steve Jobs did much more than create products.
He ignited the personal computer revolution, revolutionised the sale of music, and shepherded the age of computer animation.
The story goes deep…
1985 Jobs was forced out of Apple after a long power struggle. But, by 1997, Apple’s board of directors soon became disenchanted with the CEO’s inability to turn the company’s finances around.
In 1997, they requested Apple’s prodigal co-founder, Steve Jobs, to lead the company again. Jobs quickly allied with the Microsoft Corporation and simplified the company’s product line. He engineered an award-winning advertising campaign that urged potential customers to “think different” and buy Macintoshes.
Within no time, Apple had rebuilt its brand, and by 2018, it made history by becoming the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at $1 trillion.
You see, what made Steve Jobs so great was that he had mastered his problem-solving skills.
The entire business was built around improving people’s lives. In an interview when the first Apple store opened in 2001, Steve Jobs said its function wasn’t to “sell computers” but to “enrich lives.”
Steve Jobs’ Problem-Solving Strategy
Steve’s problem-solving steps were simple: zoom out, focus in, and disconnect.
To zoom out means to look at the bigger picture, which helps to identify exactly what you want to achieve and then find ways to do so. Go outside the realm of what is currently possible and instead think of what could be possible.
Focusing means seeing the problem within the context of your organisation. Set your sights on what you want to achieve and work on it relentlessly—something Jobs was an expert at.
Lastly, disconnect. Whenever you find that you’re unable to find a solution, you need to take a breather. Go for a walk and get some sun. This will help you think critically and develop solutions.
Six Business Problem-Solving Skills
Since every business owner will face difficulties at some point, it becomes imperative that we acquire some problem-solving skills. These help us get ahead of the issue and tackle it as quickly and effectively as possible.
Here are six problem-solving steps that you need to take for your business:
- Open, transparent communication
- Be open-minded
- Remain calm
- Develop a solid foundational strategy
- Focus on the bigger picture
- Be a preemptive leader
1. Open, Transparent Communication
To solve a problem, you first have to understand it. The only way to do that is through open, transparent communication. You have to get to the bottom of the problem and fix it.
It takes a lot for a leader to be open with the rest of the team. You must be courageous and understand the benefits of being open instead of keeping things to yourself.
Here are two techniques that are essential to build this muscle:
Active listening
Communication is a two-way process, and to be heard, you have to listen to what’s being said with the intention of understanding and not responding. Avoid interruptions when the person is speaking. Instead, listen keenly and ask clarifying questions when needed.
It’s essential to listen to everyone’s concerns and points of view. Otherwise, you might solve half a problem and find out at the end that it has missing parts.
Feedback
A good leader will speak their mind but present it respectfully and professionally. After all the voices have been heard and all points of view accounted for, the leader and the team can map a path toward a viable and sustainable solution.
Provide constructive feedback to show that you understand the person’s message and appreciate their input. Acknowledge their effort and provide guidance or support where necessary.
2. Be an Open-Minded Leader
There is more than one way to skin a cat.
One thing I was told years ago that has stayed with me until today is that everything is justifiable. To solve a problem, you have to open your mind to the various ways it can be done.
When brainstorming ways to solve the issue, be sure to listen to everyone’s ideas without dismissing any of them. You can always learn something from everyone and come up with a complex solution.
An article in Forbes titled “The 4 Most Effective Ways Leaders Solve Problems” says that open-minded people see beyond the obvious details before them and view risk as their best friend. They tackle problems head-on and get on with driving growth and innovation.
Here’s how to become more open-minded:
Recognise Your Biases
The beauty of the world is that we are all different. No two people are the same. We don’t see things the same way or experience the same things. And we all have unique paths in life. Acknowledging that how you think and behave is shaped by your experiences, culture, and upbringing is the first step to overcoming these biases.
Seek Different Perspectives
If you constantly consume information that does not challenge your thought processes, you’ll believe everything you believe is gospel truth. To become more open-minded, actively expose yourself to different cultures, ideas, and perspectives. Talk to people from various backgrounds and read books that challenge your beliefs.
3. Remain Calm
Problems will almost always arise within the workplace; the issue is how to handle them.
A genius problem-solving technique is to remain calm. Because if you try to tackle it in panic mode, you may mess up even further.
Staying calm gives you the clarity to think and develop easy, practical solutions. You’ll be able to think more logically and make decisions accordingly.
It helps you to pause and think instead of reacting automatically and unthinkingly.
To do this, you need to:
Take a Breather
Have you been in a situation where things are constantly not working out? When you try to solve one problem, another one emerges…
You can only solve this by taking a breather. Walking away from something often gives us clarity and creativity.
It helps you manage your emotions better. Acknowledge your feelings, but do not react impulsively. Remember, your team is looking to you for guidance and stability.
Assess the Situation Objectively
After taking a breather, you can look at the situation differently. Step back and evaluate the crisis objectively. Identify the key challenges, risks, and opportunities that it presents. Maintaining a clear perspective allows you to make rational decisions rather than succumbing to panic or stress.
Seek Support
Everyone needs support, even leaders. You don’t have to face the crisis by yourself. Seek support from trusted colleagues, mentors, or friends who can provide guidance and a fresh perspective. Discussing your concerns and challenges can help alleviate stress and provide new insights.
4. Develop a Solid Foundational Strategy
To solve any problem, you’ll need a solid strategy. This will guide you through the solution rather than doing things haphazardly. Map out the strategy on paper and make it known to everyone on your team.
It’s also easier to keep everyone accountable this way since it will be stated precisely who is responsible for performing each role.
Effective leaders know how to gather the right people, resources, budget and knowledge from past experiences.
They anticipate the unexpected and use their people’s strengths to ensure the strategy leads to a sustainable solution.
With a properly laid-out plan, it’s much easier to avoid guesswork and eventually solve the issue at hand.
What do you need in your strategy?
Generate the Best Possible Solutions
Once you clearly understand the problem, develop a list of solutions. You can do this with your team to ensure you’ve exhausted all the solutions. At this stage, you need to encourage creativity and avoid judgement.
Evaluate the Best Solution
Now that you have some possible solutions, you can narrow them down. Review each solution and evaluate its feasibility, effectiveness, and potential consequences. Consider the resources required, risks involved, and potential impact on stakeholders. Compare the solutions against each other and select the one that seems most suitable.
Develop an Action Plan
With the selected solution, you need to break it down into steps. What needs to be done first? Break the solution into small tasks you can delegate to different team members. Set deadlines and communicate them to everyone.
5. Focus on the Bigger Picture
The truth is that small business owners don’t have the time, energy and resources to solve EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM.
So what do you do about it? You let some things slide. Stop obsessing over small things, which, in the grand scheme of things, won’t matter. It’s important to remember that small things can have a huge effect on your business, so not everything should be ignored.
Don’t be quick to brush off problems; instead, take a moment to consider how the situation will affect you and your business in the long term.
Use the 80/20 rule when solving problems as a general rule of thumb. In this case, you would resolve 20% of the issues, leading to 80% of your problems.
How can you tell when a problem does not require your urgent attention?
Consider the Consequences
The truth is, not every single problem requires your urgent and immediate attention.
Assess the potential consequences of not addressing the problem immediately. If unresolved, will it escalate into a larger issue or cause further damage?
Analyse the Urgency
Sometimes, when we rush to solve a problem, we may make even more mistakes. Certain situations require us to sit back and assess the situation before rushing. Urgent problems are time-bound. If they are not sorted out as soon as possible, they lead to a ripple of other problems.
Does it require immediate action, or can it be addressed in the near future without causing significant harm?
6. Be a Preemptive Leader
“The wise warrior avoids the battle.”
— Sun Tzu
Another very important problem-solving skill is to be preemptive. It will help you to ‘avoid the battle’ in the first place. How? Try to foresee the possible issues and deal with them as soon as possible.
You must have been in a situation where you can foresee a problem, but you let it sit until it becomes a HUGE ISSUE. You procrastinate on finding solutions to the small crack until the entire wall comes crashing down.
In short, do things that prevent bad things from happening and encourage good things to happen. A true leader solves problems preemptively and rarely makes the same mistake twice.
Being pre-emptive involves:
Stay Informed and Updated
Staying up to date will help you foresee challenges, and this is one of the most essential problem-solving techniques: avoiding the problem in the first place.
Engage in continuous learning and seek information from various sources such as industry publications, conferences, and networking events. This knowledge will enable you to anticipate potential challenges and opportunities.
Lead by Example
Pointing fingers is an easy way out. But if you focus on the problem, it will continue to get bigger.
A good leader avoids pointing fingers as much as possible. Blaming others doesn’t solve a problem; it just makes people resentful and defensive.
Even if it’s crystal clear who is to blame for the problem, there’s a way to teach them to do better next time without constantly making it known that they’re at fault.
Take responsibility for your actions and encourage this among your team. But before the problem is solved, do not blame people left, right, and centre for their mistakes.
Our Problem-Solving Techniques Summarised
Solving problems is an art. It requires a leader to pause, step back, and think clearly. If done correctly, a problem can become a bonding experience within an organisation, leading to bigger opportunities and blessings.
There will always be problems in the workplace. It’s how you deal with them that counts.
In conclusion, here are the seven best ways to solve problems as a leader:
- Have open, transparent communication
- Be open-minded
- Remain calm
- Develop a solid foundational strategy
- Focus on the bigger picture
- Be preemptive
If you could use some support to grow your business, get in touch. At Outside Ideas, we’re on a mission to help people and businesses grow.
Onwards and upwards, my friend.
X P