I was watching a show the other evening, kind of a mystery movie of sorts where an individual was being questioned about an incident. The particular person was somewhat third party to the whole situation but was compelled to wanting to interject their perceptions of the matter. They provided some rather keen perceptions which had the appearance of being factual and legitimate details which would be valuable in helping a resolution to the situation. Fortunately for the suspect, the detective did what hopefully is done for anyone being accused of something – they actually checked the story out and either proved or disproved the elements of the information.
Granted this was just a show but in the real world of business there are small iterations of these types of situations which present themselves more often than we give real consideration to. We have all joked about the word “Assume” from time to time and its various actual meanings and then the one which includes the back end of a donkey. Anyway, in the fast-paced world our business exists in, it is too frequent that all the details of a situation are not uncovered before a direction is elected. We proceed sometimes on minimal data points and elect to change course time and again when new information is discovered. This start, stop, start again process causes many in the organization to get confused and contributes to a feeling of overwhelm. The “What direction are we headed in today’s” environment begins to set in and places everyone in a wait and see mode of operation rather than engaging in constructive growth and development. This ever-changing work environment is very costly in terms of talent, resources, and customers’ confidence.
It is not being suggested that decisions are not made in a timely fashion. What is important is that appropriate time is taken to thoroughly investigate and identify key elements the problem solving needs to apply good judgement so a productive direction can be selected and then executed.
The flavor or problem of the day type of management style challenges everyone in the organization. From the top down when there is an absence of facts and details then anything is open for concocting a story. When the business has a solid foundation and framework to build their success upon then the details and focus points should be readily available for problem solving and decision making. The necessary measurement tools are in place and providing data points so facts and figures can be actively part of the decision-making effort.
As you look at your leadership approach, are you providing the necessary foundation and framework for best problem solving and decision making? Are the necessary systems in place to capture real data so they can be reviewed, and adjustments made based on collected data rather than subjective opinions? Do your key leaders have the necessary development and training to evaluate data and then transfer that knowledge into corrective decision should that need to be accomplished?
Your leadership goes beyond being the owner, CEO, or top dog of the business. It is about what you put in place to enable your team to be successful, sometimes in spite of your own shortcomings.
Need to engage your up-and-coming leaders in being able to be focused and prioritize their problem-solving talents? Give JKL Associates a call at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246 for a conversation on taking your team to the next level.
Journey On!
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