Does your team incessantly talk about the same issues? Does it seem that too many issues never get resolved?

I find that most groups get stuck in one or more of three areas, discernment, design, or discipline - i.e understanding what is going on, crafting a satisfying response, and following through with meaningful action.

Following are twelve questions leaders can use to stimulate progress on those persistent issues that plague your team or organization.

Too much of the time people get stuck on what they don’t want, and fail to articulate what is desired. If discussion of an issue is dominated by complaining and whining, “what do we want?” is the question to bring forward. Stop talking about what is unfair, and start talking about what ‘fairness’ would look like in specific terms.

Once something is defined as a problem, a solution is inferred. However many difficulties are solution-less predicaments, a proper response mitigates the issue but does not eliminate it (for example, co-workers who simply dislike each other). Some predicaments simply must be endured. Let go and move on. Continuing to seek a ‘solution’ when what you have is a predicament generally misleads and wastes effort.

A disagreement over means should be resolved logically based on analysis of which means best addresses the issue. If conflict is persistent, however, it may be because analytical discussion over means does not address differing values. Addressing a values conflict relies less on objective analysis, rather it requires focus on empathy and understanding of different interests, dialogue to find common values, and building respect and trust.

Some issues can be resolved by themselves, even if it requires an exception to standard approaches. Other issues point to a larger system issue, requiring a change in organizational practices. Do you change your processes because of complaints from one customer, or simply handle that customer differently?

Design - Crafting Solutions That Will Work

You know what you want, but efforts seem to create more problems. Have the parameters of what will work and what won’t been articulated? Consider the specific financial, time, quality, aesthetic, and human interface requirements that will be important.

Once parameters have been established, where can they be flexible? Perhaps the deadline can be pushed back, but the budget is firm. Perhaps monetary risks can be tolerated, but not illegal actions. (Had only Enron executives paid more attention to this question!)

Too often well intentioned people work hard to address organizational issues, but fail to directly connect their efforts to how the customer is impacted. For example, I’ve often been engaged to help companies that are struggling to figure out how staff could be better team players. Typically I find that ‘teamwork’ is assumed to be beneficial, but how or why has not been addressed.

When the real question is asked, “how to best serve customers?”, then improved teamwork becomes meaningful.

Many organizations try to encourage certain desired behavior, but fail to recognize or address deeper disincentives built into their practices. For example, wanting employees to act more like entrepreneurs but punishing any idea that fails.

Discipline - Ensuring Action and Execution

Will additional information make a difference to any decision or action we take? If so, what info do we need. If not...what are we waiting for? The answers to this line of questioning can help avoid paralysis by analysis.

Ideas that work - whether a business model, product design, or operational process - usually emerge from a succession of trials. Savvy innovators know success favors those who rapidly test, prototype, or pilot ideas, and keep shaping a design from experience, over those who spend too much time on getting it right the first time.

Who will step up if things go off track? Is it the leader’s responsibility, or can anybody point out what is and isn’t working? What happens when they do? Too often people fall into an unspoken collaboration of avoiding holding others accountable so their own shortcomings will not be pointed out.

Leadership Quote

The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.

Leadership Book Review

Zero to One Million:
How to Build a Company to
One Milliion Dollars in Sales

by Ryan P. Allis (2008)
A few months ago I had the pleasure of hearing Ryan tell his remarkable story of building iContact into a million dollar business by age 21!* I even became a customer (you will notice this ezine is distributed through iContact).

Zero to One Million is Ryan’s story in print. It is much more than a simple recounting of his success, rather it provides a step-by-step outline for would-be entrepreneurs, from business nuts-and-bolts to the intangible aspects of working leading and partnering with other people. For example, Ryan clearly differentiates entrepreneurs creating lifestyle companies (creating a business to sustain one’s life) from high potential ventures (creating businesses that grow quickly and create wealth).

Hear Ryan speak if you have a chance, and if you are an aspiring entrepreneur then add this book to your library.

*OK, so the company actually hit a million in sales 18 days after Ryan's 21st birthday, still amazing and inspirational.

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