The Solution Oriented Professional

I recall a work crisis some years ago when a contract delivery was going badly - a combination of the customer not knowing what they wanted and the supplier not managing expectations. Both sides had begun to lose faith and trust in the other, which is a recipe for potential litigation.  The complexity of the issues, and probably the emotions involved, meant neither side could see the proverbial wood for the trees. Several months of ultimately fruitless discussion had passed. We could not see any way forward and escalated the issue to a senior manager in the supplier who had had no previous involvement, mainly as a senior management briefing to alert them to the potential risk. What they did however was play back the problem to the team, but crucially give us a new perspective – and a solution oriented approach. They brought their experience of other situations and similar problems into play and promoted a non-emotional and clearer understanding of the issues and consequences which ultimately led to a way forward.

To achieve this the senior manager first adopted a cheerful and positive approach and instead of complaining about the problem asked for:
1 a timeline showing all the key events and dates related to the problem delivery;
2 an independent internal review from an IT specialist of the delivery challenges;
3 a frank and non-emotional assessment of the issues – was this contract actually deliverable or were we just experiencing complex teething problems;
4 a summary of the financial impact;
5 a one page legal opinion on our rights and responsibilities;
6 an honest assessment of the customer’s viewpoint;
7 a summary of where we were in the contract escalation process. 

This ultimately led to escalation and several senior meetings with the customer which resulted in an agreement on the way forward that proved successful for both parties – the IT services were successfully delivered and the supplier made a reasonable return. 

What they did was to apply a dispassionate but informed approach which ultimately was solution oriented. They also did not attempt to blame anyone and supplemented rather than demotivating or supplanting the team. See this interesting blog Characteristics of solution-oriented leaders and how to foster this mindset on your team which observes “If you want to maximize effectiveness—for yourself and your team—the best way to approach and manage those problems is with a solution-oriented mindset.
Being a solution-oriented leader is a great way to better and more swiftly manage challenges in your business—and to encourage your team to do the same.” It then suggests what characteristics such leaders have and how to strengthen these including:

• taking action to find the solution themselves;
• focus on moving forward;
• ask the best questions – get curious, get inquisitive;
• don’t play the blame game;
• empower the team to find answers
• allow room for mistakes.

See also this LinkedIn blog Why we must all be Solution-Oriented recognises that “problem oriented people” just deliver the message and run – someone else’s problem now. It then sets out some useful steps to being the opposite and being solution oriented:

• trigger a spirit of optimism that fuels us along our path to solutions;
• don’t say “woe is me” find ways to overcome the issue;
• have a plan - break problems down into sequential steps;
• leverage creativity;
• be flexible and accountable.

And this is not just about the leader here. It is the approach of the team. In my example the senior manager did not attempt to take over, but rather to supplement, enhance and perhaps strengthen the existing team. There is a serious risk if the leader simply takes over every problem presented to them by subordinates – taking on too many “monkeys on their back”. See this LinkedIn article Advice for new managers: Get their monkeys off your back  which refers to Oncken’s monkey theory and the problems “poor delegation, spoon feeding and the tendency to solve problems for others instead of facilitating that they solve their own problems.” This is a delicate balancing act for senior managers and team members alike.

For us as professionals being solution oriented is particularly constructive but can be challenging. We are very good at identifying the challenges and problems because that is what we are trained to do. See this National Law Review article Characteristics of Solutions-Oriented Lawyers which proposes “When there are many things happening at once, it can be easy to only focus on what the issues are. However, finding solutions — instead of having tunnel vision on the problems — can lead to quick results and happier clients.  A solutions-focused lawyer is a lawyer who prioritizes finding practical and effective solutions to legal issues — instead of focusing on the potential obstacles.”

It proposes some ways to achieve this including:

• cultivate a problem solving mindset;
• think outside the box;
• continuous improvement.

It concludes “Solution-oriented lawyers are focused on solving problems with creativity to promote better outcomes for clients. A growth mindset and a drive to continue learning and improving is at the core of solutions-focused lawyers.”

I also like this quote from a short blog Being a Problem Solver:
“Many lawyers take a very distant and detached approach to their business partners' and clients' problems. These lawyers come in and make grand proclamations on the law and risks but do not come in with solutions and recommendations. These lawyers have a limited trajectory—they are not the ones that clients hire or sit at the highest levels of the corporations. Business clients want lawyers who understand risks and propose solutions.”

These refer to lawyers, but the imperative to be solution oriented applies to all our professions.
As the American physician and philosopher Debashish Mridha advised “Be solution oriented. Infect everyone with enthusiasm.”

While Ernest Agyemang the Ghanaian writer and teacher observes “When you always focus on the solutions, you shall always be a solution. Don’t just find faults; be a solution digger! You shall definitely meet some faults in your journey to digging for a solution, but mind your true purpose: solution!”
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Albert Einstein once said, “We are boxed in by the boundary conditions of our thinking.”

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