Problem Solving part 2….
This management skill is so fundamental…thought we needed to pursue further. One of the most critical components of problem solving is gathering more information. Part of that is going deeper within your normal channels to learn more. Another part is going outside this network. Explore opinions and perspectives from new sources. Ask questions – you can never have enough questions. I remember a training session where the consultant told us to evaluate interviewees on the number and quality of the questions they asked. His point was that curiosity was essential to learning, and learning was essential to making sound decisions. The more I thought about it the more I realized the genius of the idea. All the really great problem solvers I knew were always the ones more interested in asking questions, gaining insights and going deeper than in jumping to an answer immediately.
Think about it….can you tell me a story of how you’ve observed this? Who was the best problem solver you ever worked with? Why were they so successful? What was different about them? I’d love to hear from you!