Leaders solve potential problems before they occur
With as many issues as we’re faced within our life and work, it appears as though there’s never enough time to fix every one without dealing with some adversity along the way. Issues keep mounting so fast that we find ourselves taking short-cuts to temporarily relieve the tension points so we could move onto the next issue. In the process, we don’t fix the heart of each problem we are dealt; consequently, we continuously get caught in the trap of a never-ending cycle which makes it challenging to discover any real resolutions.
I have seen one too many times how hard it is to reach the root of the issue in a timely fashion when people don’t speak up.
Yes, communication is an essential requirement. This is the very reason why when those involved in the problem would rather not express themselves fearing they may endanger their occupation and expose their own or somebody else’s wrong-doing, the problem-solving process becomes a treasure hunt. Successful communication towards problem-solving occurs due to a leader’s capacity to facilitate an open dialogue between people who trust her goals and feel they are in a secure environment to share why they think the problem happened as well as particular answers.
Breaking down communication barriers requires people to be open-minded. In the long run, problem-solving is all about people working together to build the organization and the people it serves better. Consequently, if you’re stuck working with closed-minded people, practical problem solving becomes a long and winding road of distress.
There are many individuals in the workplace that love creating unnecessary chaos so that their inefficiencies are never exposed. These are the sorts of individuals (loafers and parasites) which make it hard for issues to get solved because they slow down the process while trying to make themselves seem more important. Be on the lookout for the carriers and high-potential leaders inside the organization, and you’ll see examples of the advantages of being open-minded, and this eventually leads to more innovation and initiative.
