Solving B.I.G Problems - A Useful Methodology
It could be said that running a business is nothing more than continual problem management. Internally we’re solving our own problems, externally we’re solving problems for our customers/clients.
As someone who works in the problem solving profession, I apply a simple methodology each time I am faced with a seemingly “Big Problem”.
My Methodology for Solving B.I.G. Problems
B stands for BIG.
First, I assess how big the problem actually is. You’d be surprised how much time is spent thinking about small problems ie toxic employees, an upset customer, or a missed deadline. A big problem, in contrast, is something that can sink the company like a major lawsuit, inability to meet payroll, threat of bankruptcy, or even death.
It’s also important to understand the nature of the “Big” problem, whether it’s perpetual or solvable.
Once we have a firm grasp on the size of what we’re actually dealing with we then move to…
I stands for Intelligence.
Next, we need to “get smart” and gather information quickly to make informed decisions. What caused this problem? What are the potential solutions? Have we attempted to solve this problem in the past? What are our options from here? etc…
The bigger the problem, the more we need to understand the root cause, almost to an exhausting level. Without the proper intel we may be solving for symptoms and potentially making the real problem worse.
Example: A poor performing employee may be the symptom of an ineffective management system.
After we are armed with the necessary intel, we then…
G stands for Go!
Lastly, the most critical step requires taking action to deal with or eliminate the problem. If we fail to act, we risk the problem persisting and ultimately eroding the business from the inside out.
Burying our head in the sand and hoping the problem goes away is not smart (aka the Ostrich strategy). Proactivity is the only course of action, without it we have no progress to measure, no further intel and most certainly no solution.
Therefore we must get going and keep going until we have a firm handle on the problem and the solution.
Important Note about the BIG Methodology - If handled out of sequence, we may attempt to solve a problem without accurate information, spend too much time and resources on a small problem, or procrastinate altogether.
Poll Results: The results are in from last week’s survey:
67% of voters said Urgency is most important when seeking to solve their biggest pain.
Interested in joining a confidential Mastermind group where like-minded business owners collaborate to solve major challenges? Learn More
Shout out to Garry Yankson for having a recent chat with me about The Future of Team Building.
Tim Martinez
“The Inside Man”
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