Issues and problems pop up daily and there are a thousand ways to solve each one. Being stuck and being perfect are the enemies of progress and problem-solving, but how do you guard against those man-made traps?
Gino Wickman is the designer of EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which is a set of simple business-building concepts and practices, and he’s also the author of the book “Traction: How to Get a Grip on Your Business.”
One particular section I like is The 10 Commandments of Solving Issues. Here are the highlights:
- Thou Shalt Not Rule by Consensus – you can’t always get everyone on the same page. Decide, deal with it, and move on.
- Thou Shalt Not Be a Weenie – the solution is easy to discuss, but always more difficult to implement. You must have strong will and resolve to see it through.
- Thou Shalt Be Decisive – it’s less important what you decide than it is that you decide – so decide!
- Thou Shalt Not Rely on Secondhand Information – when dealing with multiple sources of secondhand information, get everyone together, discuss it and solve it.
- Thou Shalt Fight for the Greater Good – put egos, titles and past beliefs aside and focus on the vision of the greater good, the big picture.
- Thou Shalt Not Try to Solve Them All – prioritize issues and take them one at a time. Deal with the most pressing and important first, and then move on.
- Thou Shalt Live with it, End it, or Change it – those are the only three possible options and outcomes you have in solving an issue.
- Thou Shalt Choose Short-Term Pain and Suffering – if something is a problem for longer than 36 hours it’s your own fault. Solve it now rather than later.
- Thou Shalt Enter the Danger – deal first with the issue you fear most.
- Thou Shalt Take a Shot – suggest something, try something, do something, even it is wrong.
Issues come up every day, in every life, and in every business. The key to moving forward is to identify them, discuss them and solve them. Put the 10 commandments of solving problems in your toolkit.
Have a great week.
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