Getting Shell Shocked?

Having a positive ‘problem solving culture’ is essential for any business. There isn’t a day that goes by in which some form of problem, big or small, doesn’t confront us and demand to be solved.
 
In these days of time-poverty, steep targets and financial pressures we often feel the need to solve problems very quickly, sometimes in an instant. This can be exacerbated by the view that any good problem solver should be able to come up with great solutions immediately.
 
But how realistic is this? If the problem is a serious one, it is most likely the result of a complex combination of factors. Many of which simply can’t (nor should) be addressed in the moment.
 
Most of us recognise that excessive pressure to act quickly (either real or perceived) will lead us to jump to conclusions about what happened and usually encourage us to reach straight for our favourite solutions.  But without genuine analysis how can we be sure that we know what really happened, exactly why it happened and how far the impacts reached? And if this is the case, how can we have genuine confidence in the effectiveness of our solutions?
 
Almost all of us will be familiar with Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and The Hare. The story, which dates from the 6^th century BC, concerns a bullish hare who teases a slow-moving tortoise, challenging him to a race that he believes he can’t lose. In the race, assured of his competitive advantage, the arrogant hare sprints off, leaving the slow-moving tortoise behind.  Through a combination of the hare’s overconfidence and the tortoise’s stoic nature the tortoise eventually overtakes the hare to unexpectedly win the race.
 
Today we tend to celebrate the tortoise’s plucky conduct but in ancient times it was the hare’s arrogance and overconfidence that was the focal point of the fable. And when we consider this in a classical context it’s not at all surprising.  Aesop’s fables were undoubtably a distillation of centuries, or even millennia of wisdom, compressed into tales that were easy to recall and share.  In that uncertain age, a time before modern medicine, and at the mercy of the whims of angry gods, the cost of cutting corners was catastrophic for both individuals and society as a whole.  People had to be constantly reminded that sobriety, zeal and grit would prevail over natural ability derailed by idleness, arrogance and overconfidence.
 
Some 2500 years later the message delivered in the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare is as relevant as it ever was.  If we don’t address significant problems with a steady, critical and analytical approach or if we fail to fully reveal the deeper impact of a complex problem then we are in danger of becoming the hare – driven by hubris and the bias of blind optimism.  
 
In order to effectively solve problems, great organisations must encourage a problem-solving mindset. One that is prepared to ask questions and is allowed the necessary time to investigate, define, analyse, test and share. Good problem solving does not always take large chunks of time, but it isn’t something that’s instantaneous either. Failure to recognise this will steadily erode any competitive advantage. It will trap even the very best organisations within a frustrating loop of painful repeat problems. While all the time the tortoise, often in the shape of a competitor, is coming around the outside, ready to dip for the finish line and steal a victory.
 
If you want to learn more about how to create and implement an effective problem solving culture then download Better Than Yesterday, our free eBook.