In a world of challenges and obstacles, it’s easy to become mired in a sea of problems. Well, guess what? Complaining does nothing to change a situation. Instead, focus on the solution and not the problem.
The Wise Man with the Same Old Jokes
Have you heard the story of the wise man and the same old jokes?
There was once an old wise man who liked to walk. He walked far and wide but always set off from the same point. He’d often come across the same group of shopkeepers on his regular travels out of town.
He’d hear them complaining about the same old things almost every time he passed.
One day, he stopped to tell the group a joke. They all laughed.
A few days later, he walked past the same group of shopkeepers and repeated the joke. This time, only a few people smiled.
Later that week, He repeated the joke for a third time. This time, no one reacted.
The man smiled and said, “You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem?”
You won’t get anywhere if you keep complaining about the same problem but do nothing to fix it.
Focusing on the problems can create unnecessary anxiety and stress while at the same time demotivating you and your workers. In short, it does nothing to fix or better the situation.
So start concentrating on solutions rather than problems.
How To Be More Solution-Oriented
Have you ever met someone who is more problem-oriented than solution-oriented? A person whose entire personality is based on complaining! They can rumble about one issue after another for hours and hours.
How did it make you feel?
If we’re being honest, it can be super draining, and the worst part is that it doesn’t solve the issue(s).
Rather than focusing on the problems, we need to be more proactive about finding solutions.
In Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he says,
“Highly proactive people recognise their responsibility to change situations. They don’t blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behaviour. Their behaviour is a product of their own conscious choice, based on value, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling.”
In business, it’s really important to focus on solutions rather than problems because if you don’t, you may end up in a never-ending cycle of problems.
Five Ways To Be More Solution-Oriented
Here are five ways to be more solution-oriented:
- Look For Likely Outcomes
- Think Strategically
- Be Creative to Find Solutions
- Commit to focussing
- Resist Problem-Oriented Queries
1. Look For Likely Outcomes
It’s best to try to emotionally dissociate from the problem at hand and instead look at it logically. This is the only way to solve an issue.
This goes for teams as well. If you are the leader, encourage the members not to dwell on the past, but rather focus on how to change the situation.
Dwelling on the problem wastes time and energy, which could otherwise be spent improving things.
When considering possible outcomes, one must envision exactly what they would look like, how much they would cost, and who would be involved.
Understand The Problem Thoroughly
Before you start looking at the likely outcomes, you must first understand the problem as well as possible. Gain a deeper understanding of the problem you are trying to solve. Clarify the issue, its constraints and all other limitations involved.
Identify Possible Solutions and Evaluate Them
Together with your team, generate possible solutions. Consider various approaches that can solve the problem.
After this, assess the potential solutions, considering time effectiveness, cost, and all other relevant factors.
Weigh the pros and cons of each solution.
2. Think Strategically
Depending on the nature of the situation, you will need to be strategic and systematic.
Identifying a problem is the first step, and finding the solution is the second. How do you get from point A to point B most quickly and efficiently?
At its core, strategic thinking and problem-solving are about exploring possibilities in a space where analytical judgment and critical thinking have been temporarily suspended.
If you’re in business, this stage may entail exploring the possibilities of how your customers respond to the different solutions you come up with. How will you monitor these responses and adapt accordingly as they come?
Thinking strategically allows you to foresee any future loopholes and find ways to deal with them beforehand. By doing this, you’re in a better-suited position to overcome problems in future.
Here are two tips to think more strategically:
Gather and Analyse Relevant Information
The best way to focus on solutions is to rewire your mind to be strategic—to be more logical than emotional.
You can do this by collecting all the data, facts, and relevant information about the problem. Then, analyze the root causes, patterns, and potential impact of the problem.
If it helps, having a visual illustration makes what you are working with even clearer.
Prioritise and Select the Best Solution
As part of thinking strategically, you must ask yourself: What must be done first?
Prioritising helps you to solve the problem in a more organised, effective way. Always select the solution that aligns best with your strategic goals.
3. Be Creative To Find Solutions
Let’s be honest, whenever you’re trying to find solutions, you’ll need to get your creative juices flowing. You need to have an open mind and try as much as possible to think outside the box.
Push your thinking beyond your self-imposed limits to generate innovative ideas in terms of approach and even design.
Challenge Your Assumptions
Most of us are heavily biased about what should happen next, especially after an issue occurs at work.
Questioning all these norms and assumptions related to the problem is essential for being more creative and solution-focused.
Consider alternative perspectives that may have been overlooked.
Consult Your Team
This is where having a team comes in handy because you can build up an idea from one point until it becomes the best-suited plan to execute. That way, a problem can quickly become a blessing in disguise.
4. Commit to Focusing
Once you’ve considered possible solutions, you (and your team) need to create a proper plan.
By surfacing your recommendations with clear context and logical explanations, you demonstrate an ability to lead with purpose and not stand paralysed in the face of a problem.
Here are three ways that you can do this:
Limit Complaining and Blaming
Complaining and blaming one another does nothing to solve an issue. Instead, put all of your energy into solving the problem.
Delegate
Sometimes, the nature of a problem means you can’t solve it by yourself on time. This is a great opportunity to practice delegation.
In this step, everyone is given clear roles on what they need to do and within which timeframe, in order to succeed.
Awareness and Acknowledgement
Your mindset plays a big role in how you view issues and solve them. Approach situations with a positive attitude. Dwelling on the problem can hinder your progress.
5. Resist Problem-Oriented Queries
A solution-oriented leader should not linger on the what ifs, or we should’ve, would’ve, could haves…
While it is undebatable that we need to learn from our mistakes, we shouldn’t focus on them. They may help with the solution, but dwelling on them too much will create more damage than good.
What they do, more than anything, is waste time. Focus less on why what happened happened and more on what to do now. In short, leave the past in the past.
Stay Future-focused
Keep the conversation around future actions and improvements rather than past mistakes. What can you do in the future to avoid a similar situation?
Reflect on Progress and Solutions
You also need to regularly celebrate the progress you make while sorting out the issue. Look for the glimmers in the situation. Choose positive and empowering language.
Instead of asking, “What went wrong?’ ask, “What could have gone better?”
Summary
If you’re in business, you need to get accustomed to dealing with problems. They will be there—it’s guaranteed!
You also need to get used to focusing more on how to deal with these problems rather than how to linger on them.
In conclusion, these are the five ways to be more solution-oriented as opposed to problem-oriented:
- Look For Likely Outcomes
- Think Strategically
- Be Creative To Find Solutions
- Commit to Focusing
- Resist Problem-Oriented Queries
Remember what the old wise man asked the shopkeepers,
“You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem?”
Let me ask you something: are there times when you complain about problems instead of finding solutions? How are you going to change that?
I’m always up for a chat! If you would like to discuss this or anything else business-related, reach out to me.
Onwards and upwards, my friend,
Pete x
