Hey manager! Do you know Hey manager! Do you know Hey manager! Do you know Hey manager! Do you know

Hey manager! Do you know these 5 problem-solving steps?

Everyone has problems, but when there’s an issue with your team in a business setting, that problem can take on a life of its own.

There are suddenly multiple ideas coming at the issue, multiple personalities and approaches that can quickly rub up against each other and turn a proverbial molehill into a time sucking, rapport destroying mountain.

To avoid this self-defeating chaos, you need to set up a protocol that takes control of a potential problem scenario before it happens, and gives all your people the tools they need to properly manage that situation from initial issue to solution.

1 — Identify the problem You could say this is “acknowledging” the problem, but that doesn’t go far enough. Simply saying, “this isn’t good” might work as a line in a summer blockbuster movie, but it doesn’t’ get your team any closer to a solution. You need to properly and honestly define the problem. This begins by determining which aspects are symptoms and which are causes.

2 — Mitigate the symptoms while working on real solutions You need to stop the bleeding and treat the problem at the same time. This might sound daunting, but if you properly identified which was which in step one, then that’s half the battle. Assign members of your team to work on dealing with the symptoms while you assign others to tackle the “real problem.” If you don’t know which members of your team would be better at which task, that, in itself, is another symptom.

3 — List the solutions Having meetings to talk about the problem is all well and good, but you need to list the issues as well as the possible solutions. Be concrete and specific. Visualize each aspect of the issue, encourage each member of your team to honestly engage with each variable.

Be willing to step outside of what’s always been done to find a real solution. It could be this issue has been building up for a long time simply because the system itself has a flaw you haven’t noticed before.

4 — Reinforce the team aspect of the challenge

The buck may stop with you, but this problem will impact everyone on the team. They all deserve input, but more than that, they need to own their stake in the solution. Building a true environment of shared responsibility requires each member of your team to listen to and respect each other. They don’t have to agree, but they should go into any interaction knowing their investment will be valued.

5 — Make the decision and prepare for the consequences After all the talking, arguing and working, you’re still the boss. The decision has to be made, and it’s yours to make. From there, good or bad, there will be consequences, and you need to be prepared. If it goes bad, you need to be able to lead the team back into the cycle to find a better solution. And, even if it goes well, you need to be there to lead the team to protect that “win” and build on that momentum.

So, manager, what do you think? Have you employed any or all of these problem-solving steps?