Early in my tenure with the organization, a problem landed on my desk. It followed a pattern I’ve experienced throughout my career.
The problem today was the solution to a problem in the past.
It isn’t true of every problem, but it certainly was true for many I’ve faced, and I suspect you have too
Let me give you an example using the problem I was dealing with. Luckily for me, I was new to the organization, so I couldn’t blame myself for creating my own problem. It was about employee pay and inconsistency within a metropolitan area where we operated multiple locations. In asking questions, I learned one of our locations (I’ll call it Location A) was in a rapidly growing area and pay was an issue when hiring staff. Leadership wanted to solve their staffing problem, so their solution was to create a special pay differential for Location A only. Location A was very happy because it worked for them, gave them an advantage and for a few years it remained “under the radar” within the organization. Now the labor market everywhere was like the area around Location A, so all locations were having staffing problems. Because we operated in the same area, our other locations began competing with each other for talent. Locations B, C, D and E didn’t like losing talent to Location A who could pay higher with the differential. Employees of those locations learned about it and didn’t like being paid less than at Location A. Yesterday’s solution was now a big problem.
Past solutions that become today’s problem are tricky. I’ve learned a few things in dealing with them.
Understand the problem and history – Context matters. In problem solving we tend to focus on the issues today. I encourage you to ask enough questions to fully understand what was going on in the organization when your problem today was created as a solution. Trust me, the circumstances were different, and the decision makers evaluated many possible solutions. There was a reason they made their decision, what was it?
Resist judgement – It would be easy to say, “How stupid could they be” as you look at the problem dumped into your lap. There are three problems with a judgmental response. 1) Your pride is talking, implying you are smarter than those before you. Your statement won’t help solve the problem today, it can only hurt, 2) You weren’t there and who knows that you wouldn’t have made the same decision. Those decision makers made the best decision they could with the information they had available to them, not what you know now, and 3) Some of those decision makers may still work within the organization. A judgmental comment by you can be insulting to them and trust me they’ll hear about it. Now, how will it help them accept a new solution to the problem? Lesson, keep your thoughts to yourself.
Emotional investment – People are invested in what they know and especially if they were involved in creating it. We prefer to keep the status quo because we know it. Rarely is logic what keeps people holding on to an outdated solution, it’s emotion. Take time to understand those emotions, by listening to their concerns and feelings. It’s the key to unlocking their support.
Help them see a new way – You might see the solution clearly, but resist the temptation to say, “this is the way”. It rarely moves everyone. Instead, try bringing everyone along until they see what you see. When they do and it’s “their idea”, they’ll move quickly.
Once you’ve solved the problem, remember that sometime in the future, someone (maybe even you) will be solving the problems caused by your solution. It’s life.
But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. James 1:5 (GNT)
