25. BUILDING A PROBLEM-SOLVING CULTURE - YOUR FAST-TRACK TO A SELF-MANAGING ORGANIZATION - PART 1 - FLORIN LUNGU

Season #4 Episode #25

Recorded Live at International Business Growth Radio (www.IBGR.Network)

A key component for a self-managing organization is autonomy. People have the authority to make decisions at their level and problems get solved at the lowest level possible without being escalated to the management.

How can we build a problem-solving mindset in our companies so we develop that self-managing company every entrepreneur dreams about?

That’s what we’re gonna try to answer on today’s show.

Show Objectives - The Why

Many entrepreneurs after a few years in business realize that they cannot do everything that is needed for their businesses to grow and thrive. That’s the moment they start to bring people in and build a team.

While their team starts to take things off their plates, as the organization grows, bigger problems land on their desk. They’re still the ones who make all decisions. They feel in control but they’re swapped.

This is the moment they realize they need to start delegating differently. Not only the responsibility for the task or project but also the authority to make decisions.

That’s the moment when things start to change.

Key Issues - Owner Perspective:

The biggest challenge we face in delegating authority is we feel we give up our power. We put ourselves in a situation where others will make decisions on our behalf and that’s a scary thought for many entrepreneurs.

So what can we do?

What You Need to Know - The What

What we’ll cover today is:

  • What is a problem-solving culture
  • Why delegating to your team helps them develop this mindset
  • Problem-solving from the outside-in vs problem-solving from the inside-out
  • A Five Steps Framework for Solution-Based Thinking

Change your problem-solving mindset:

  • Don’t give answers - Help people find solutions
  • Don’t look for perfection – Seek progress
  • Don’t expect quick fixes – Plan for incremental steps
  • Don’t try to avoid pain – Healing takes time

Which one do you struggle with most?

What You Need to Do - The How

How can we create that problem-solving from the inside-out mentality?

Here is a Five Steps Thinking Process to Solution-Based Thinking

1.                  Write out the exact problem you have.

2.                  Draw from your past experiences, resourcefulness, and creativity.

3.                  Identify the resources you have learned from or adopted as you have dealt with previous problems.

4.                  Write down what the problem looks like solved.

5.                  Trust and have faith in yourself.