I'm Sorry Man; I Don't Think this is Gonna Work...
There are two ways to approach problems; I'm here to advocate for my favorite.
I heard a quote the other day—no, I’m not gonna say from whom—but it resonated. Basically, this person said: “my employees know not to tell me something isn’t going to work because I would much rather hear a way to make it work, no matter how much of a leap it is.” I love this idea—even though my only “employee” doesn’t exactly fall into this situation—and here’s why:
Everything we do has obstacles.
Life has problems. In our jobs, our families, and our relationships, there will always be reasons (not even excuses) that certain things may not work out. I submit that if you look at any problem with the mindset that you’re going to figure out how to solve it, you’ll end up succeeding a lot more than if you allow the problem to become the reason for not doing something. For instance, I could want to go for a run but think it’s too hot outside. I’m focused on the problem, not the goal or the solution. If I instead figure out how to deal with the heat so that I could go for a run, I’m focused on the goal and how to solve the problem to achieve it. The facts remain the same but in one scenario you’ve all but admitted defeat, while in the other you’ve opened the door to finding a solution. I know this is a simplistic example (although, if you live in Florida, during the summer this example is REAL—if you don’t believe in gyms), but I’m hoping I illustrated my point. Obstacles are unavoidable, but our approach to them is crucial.
Solutions-based thinking leads to success.
In my last job for the military, I planned and executed training and real-world operations for Air Force Special Operations aircraft, Army and Navy special operations forces, and conventional Air Force assets. I know, why don’t you brag about it, Matthias? No lie, it was an awesome job, very challenging but rewarding. But it was also a whole bunch of “this is never gonna work. Those guys can’t do this, and we can’t do that with them, so this is impossible” types of situations. Oh, I should probably mention that much of the time we were coordinating with allied countries. Brothers in arms they are, which means we get along like…well…brothers. The main problem is, with many of those operations, especially the real-world live missions against actual bad guys, “this isn’t going to work” simply isn’t an option.
The best boss I ever had would walk into the command center, assemble us all together, and say: “what do we have to do to make this work?” It sounds simple, but he was signaling to us that he wanted us to identify solutions and pass them up the chain. If we found a way to make something work, but it was against someone’s regulations, or it would require more people, or a different capability, he needed to know, because that would be his marching orders to HQ. He wouldn’t hesitate to take our plan up the ladder and say, “Sir, if we want this done, we’re going to need to waive this regulation, bring in a few more people, or bring in that capability.” My best boss’s (beside Jen) approach brings me to my next point.
Solutions often introduce risk.
When the Generals heard my boss deliver our solutions, it told them two things:
The team had dug in and found a solution to the problems presented.
They needed to make decisions on precisely what risks they were willing to accept in order to accomplish the mission.
This is how a great organization works. The boss/director/leader/CEO/POTUS announces the mission, and the experts get to work. The experts identify solutions, send them up to the leader, and the leader gets to decide if that mission is really worth the identified risks. It may be the case that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze after you find a solution, but at least the powers that be know the true facts when that decision is made.
Alright, alright, I know I waded into the military weeds there, but I found my way back. The “risk” in the above scenario would translate in ordinary life to priority. In our hot- day jogging scenario from earlier, the solutions readily available are:
Get up early or stay up late and run at a cooler time of day.
Get a gym membership or treadmill and run inside.
Again, this is a reductive scenario, but I’m going to “run” it for all its worth. Whether or not we adopt either of those solutions depends on how high of a priority the running is to us. So, the decision of whether or not we “can” run goes back to our will, and the super hot temperature is simply a variable, not a determining factor. This brings me to my final point.
Solutions remove our excuses.
Once we realize there are solutions to our heat problem, the situation becomes a willingness issue. Are we willing to pay more or get up earlier in order to accomplish our goal, or are we not? It’s up to us. Since we approached the problem from a solution-based perspective, we know deep down that if we don’t run, it’s because we didn’t prioritize it. Now, we may not always win the priority battle with ourselves in our lives and work (and sometimes other priorities we wish weren’t the priority at that moment get in the way), but if we start with the mindset of “how could I make this work?” we always present ourselves with the option of success.
I would argue that mindset makes for an extremely valuable employee, partner, teammate, or member of an organization. If everyone knows that when they bring you a problem, you’ll approach it assuming there’s a solution, then you’re the linchpin to success. You’ll help everyone understand what it takes to accomplish the task, and I would wager that, more often than not, the risks or priorities will be worth it.
- Matthias (and this has been my Ted Talk?)
PS: The investment portal for our 331 Flex Development offering will open on Friday, Oct. 25, for investors to officially reserve their spot in a few days. If you haven’t spoken to me about it yet and are interested in learning more, click here.
Best one yet 🫡