Blog by Sharman Dow
In every situation in life there are problems. We all have them in every aspect of our home and work life. So learning how to solve problems is a tremendous asset to being successful in your career and personal life. Are you a problem solver? Being a problem solver is being a person who has a solution or an answer to the problem.
It means you have the ability to solve the problem or prevent it from happening. The traits needed to be a problem solver are fairly simple. Taking note of these few simple steps when approaching a problem might help you become a problem solver and trusted advisor to others.
The first and foremost, step in becoming a problem solver is asking for some divine help. By doing so, it forces you to stand back and think through the situation. I always whisper under my breath for God to give me wisdom when I’m facing a particular problem. Your creative energy flows from the supernatural. Asking for divine intervention for the problem releases your imagination and resourceful abilities. Plus, it puts the matter at hand into the right perspective when you recognize there is a bigger source to lean upon.
Another attribute to being a problem solver is that you don’t always have to be right. It’s more important to find the solution. The end result for a positive outcome is what all parties desire. The solution blocker will be your pride and ego. Putting yourself first will prevent a good resolution.
Many times in business we see our peers striving for self-interest, but real success happens when we tweak our thinking to be “others” focused. By changing your mind-thought process, taking your eyes off yourself and looking at the needs of others, you start to develop a strategy to solve their problems.
A good problem solver is someone who doesn’t create drama or add to the problem. They are mature enough to have insight to explore the options and rise above the conflict. They are more preventative in seeing beyond the moment with forethought into preparation. It’s like wearing a seatbelt. We don’t expect an accident to happen, but by wearing a seatbelt we are being preventative in case a collision does occur.
In business, collisions happen all the time. One of my preventative measures is to take notes in meetings. That’s my seatbelt of protection. When a meeting is concluded with a client or my peers, I follow-up with bullet points in an email to make sure everyone is clear on what we discussed. This prevents many potential problems and misunderstandings with everyone involved.
Fear is another roadblock to solving a problem. It will prevent you from being rational and levelheaded in any given situation. One aspect of fear in business is the thought of losing your job because you made a mistake. In business, it’s imperative to admit your mistakes and seek guidance. By hiding an error, you create a bigger problem. Everyone makes mistakes in life. The best thing to do is to speak up and admit a mistake has been made. Then the onset for a solution can be quickly begun.
Fear can make your decisions irrational and non-productive. It will require more intervention as time evolves, thus adding more to the problem.
I once had an account exec who had a problem with telling the truth. She was very knowledgeable in certain areas, but her pride would not allow herself to admit she did not have all the answers. One time she made a mistake with my client. Instead of coming to me seeking a solution, she lied to the client and me to cover her mishap. It was not long before the mistake was exposed and it caused us to lose the client and eventually her. She caused too many problems for me by her inability to admit a mistake. She was a problem maker, not a problem solver.
A good problem solver will have reasonable expectations and look at a problem as an opportunity, bringing hope and solutions. I want to invite you to the Empower Women’s Conference where you will meet incredibly successful women who are problem solvers. Come and hear their stories on how they solved their business problems and became successful in the process.
Sharman Dow is the founder of the Empower Women’s Conference.
