Why Professional Problems Happen: A Client-Centric Problem-Solving Strategy. (The Worksheet)
There’s a story about a high school nurse giving crutches to every student. If they had a nosebleed, a cold, or a cut on their arm, she gave them all crutches.
Maybe it was a symbolic gesture telling students to take care of themselves.
But more likely it was a simple story about solving the wrong problem.
Don’t be that nurse.
Client challenges happen
Problems with clients will occur.
Sometimes they are your fault. Sometimes they are not.
In all cases, you can work to solve them.
Because taking responsibility is not the same as taking blame.
Fixes beyond blame
Taking responsibility for something means becoming part of the solution.
And in work, as in life, you should always want to be part of the solution.
A true solution means fixing two main components:
- Fix how it happened
- Fix why it happened
The symptom and the root
How it happened is the immediate fix: make it work now.
Why it happened is the long-term change to avoid it reoccurring. Or make it work forever.
A restaurant is struggling with rush time delays. They hire a new line cook to make more food. But if the problem was a bad ticket system, faulty kitchen equipment, or unorganized stations, they have simply added more to the chaos.
Understand, then fix
Use this week’s worksheet to look at a problem at both levels. First fix the problem today. Then fix the problem forever.
What next
Fix all of your problems forever: review your operational plan and get all the right pieces moving together. Contact me now to get started on your Strategic Blueprint.