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Leadership is action;
not position. - Donald H. McGannon
When we are faced with a
challenge or problem, generally the first reaction is fear.
Wouldn't it be helpful to be able to tap into a system of
actions that would help us gain a feeling of more control
over the situation? Fear and the adrenaline response is biological,
but having the awareness and methodology to problem solve
is part of our survival. Are you a born problem solver? Or
could you use some tools for developing that ability?
What Characteristics Do
Effective Problem Solvers have in Common?
1. They have an "attitude"!
They do not run from a problem. Effective problem solvers
see a problems as an opportunity. They know positive growth
cannot be achieved without change occurring. They are able
to see change as an opportunity to learn something new, to
grow beyond our current limits, to achieve success that others
have not, and to prove that "it can be done". Some people
have a competitive drive or 'killer instinct' when things
get tough; but most of us don't. You can cognitively adopt
a new perspective by viewing change not as something to be
feared, but as an opportunity to expand. My clients know that
if you have a business it always has scary times and challenging
issues, there is no business that is the same all the time.
2. They redefine the problem.
Effective problem solvers don't take what others say at 'face
value' They form their own opinions by looking at the problem
in more than one way. For example, one of my clients was told
by some embers of her team that by hiring another salesperson
she would increase company sales. But she stopped to examine
the existing sales force and asked: "Am I maximizing what
I already have? Am I training them properly? Do they need
more motivation? Are our costs in line with our sales?" Sometimes
brainstorming with others can facilitate our ability to think
outside the box when it comes to problem solving.
3. They have a system. There
is a tried and true system that has worked for years in business.
This step by step approach is a map to problem solving.: DACR/S.
It stands Describe, Analyze, Conclude, and Recommend/Solve.
It is simple and literal but it works.
4. They consider every position
as though it were their own. For effective problem solvers
standing in the other person's shoes is more than a cute saying.
It's a fundamental way of looking at problems from other people's
perspectives. Try taking the other's perspective and expanding
upon it until you understand it better than they do.
5. They recognize conflict
as a prerequisite to solution. When people put forth their
position, stakes are high for wanting to be 'right'.
6. They listen to their intuition.
At later stages of fact-finding effective problem solvers
experience what can be best described as "inklings"-- gut
level feelings about the situation. Listen to your instincts,
test them. How often do we look back and say, I should have...
7. They ask the question,
have I got to the real issue or just handled the top layer?
Is this a 'system issue' or a 'people issue'? If it's a people
issue have I given the people what they need to be successful
in the future? Have I learned from this what I need to be
successful in the future when a similar situation pops-up?
8. They gain agreement from
the parties involved. In the excitement of finding a solution
to the problem it's easy to fail to get agreement and commitment
on the part of everyone involved. For effective problem solvers,
just "going along" via tacit agreement isn't enough. There
must be explicit statements from all parties that they concur
and are willing to commit to the solution. Agreement constitutes
a characteristic of a "permanent" solution which is what we
are seeking.
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"Leadership is getting people to work for you when they
are not obligated to". Fred Smith
"If you want to feel proud of yourself, you've got to
do things you can be proud of. Feelings follow actions." Oseola
McCarty
"You can make more friends in two months by becoming really
interested in other people, than you can in two years by trying
to get other people interested in you." Dale Carnegie
Communication Smoothers
Take Responsibility. Good communicators know they
get to choose how they respond to another. They do not react
to others, but act from within to express who they really
are and what they are thinking and feeling. They make statements
like: "Let's look at our alternatives;" "I can always choose
a different approach:" "I choose...;" "I will..." Your thoughts,
your emotions, and your behaviors are not controlled by someone
or some circumstance outside you. You always have the choice
about what you are saying.
Wait and Incorporate What The Other Says, before continuing
with our own train of thought or merely reacting to the last
sentence spoken. Most of us tend to ignore what others say
and either override their talking with our own, or rehearse
silently in our heads what we are going to say next. Learn
to wait and take in what the other is saying. They may be
agreeing with you.
Focus on What is Right and Accurate about What the Other
is Saying. When we only focus on the disagreements or
inaccuracies of what our communication partner is saying,
we become confused and may even respond to something entirely
off topic. If you have a question about what you hear, say
"My understanding of what you are saying is....is that accurate?"
Don't Contradict. What the other is saying is always
valid for him/her. Others always have a different frame of
reference than you i.e., the purpose of most communication
is to mutually understand each others point of view. You may
state your disagreement, but avoid the phrase, "Yes, but..."
When you contradict another, you invite defensiveness or justification
rather than clarification.Persist in Trying to Understand,
Prior to being Understood. We often "go quiet" or leave the
room when we feel frustrated, or want to use no response as
a statement or weapon. Stay with the communication process
until you understand the other and believe you are understood
by the other (in that order of importance).
Give Equal Air Time. If you monopolize the conversation,
you might as well be a radio announcer. You may never know
if anyone is listening. Talking only to you can be pretty
lonely.
Keep Your Voice Pitch and Volume at a Comfortable Level.
Screaming may help relieve you of anger, but it rarely invites
others to listen to what you have to say. Yelling does invite
others to either defend themselves, or tune you out.
Maintain a Slow Rate of Speech. We think about four
times faster than we can talk. When you slow your speech pattern
down you have even more time to listen, think, and consider
a response. Pauses may be very useful as communication smoothers.
Make Summarizing Statements. Regularly take the time
to summarize what you have heard, what you said, and what
you have accomplished in the conversation. Be sure and include
your understanding of what the other has said as well as a
quick review of what you said.
Admit Not Understanding and Ask for Clarification or Elaboration.
It is ok not to understand what the other is trying to communicate.
It is not ok to "bust" them or the communication process when
you don't understand. Ask directly for the other to clarify
or "say more" after admitting you don't understand yet.
Listen to Yourself. Do you like what you are saying
and how you are saying it? We are often told to listen to
others. In fact, that is one half of the communication process.
But listening to yourself is as important as well. You might
learn something about you as well as the topic you are discussing.
Written by Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. modified
by Harvey Smith Carolina Business coach
Want to be a better communicator?
Are you a D? I? S? or C? Take an on-line assessment to find
out. ASSESSMENT FEES: If you are a coaching client, this may
be included in your coaching agreement. The DISC Assessment
is $75, and you will receive a 23 page report. For a session
with me to review that report and show you how to maximize
your performance, a 2 hour session is $250 and includes the
price of the DISC profile.
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