Problem solving and the silver bullet

post by John Walters of 1-2-1 Business Consulting 

I sometimes come across Small Business Owners who are looking for the one quick fix that will solve all their problems, you know, that elusive magic silver bullet that everyone talks about.

Unfortunately, instant remedies/one size fits all solutions seldom work.  Yes, you may paper over the cracks, but often the problem re-emerges later.

Why is that?  Well, quite often the quick fixes that we put in place are designed to fix specific problems, and too often the real problem is something that lies undetected at the time we implement the quick fix.  In short, we don’t take the necessary care to ensure that we really understood the route cause of the problem before we jump in to try and fix it.

Let’s dig a little deeper and ask yourself the following next time you have a problem:

1. Do you really understand the problem?
2. Should you be doing this task in the fist place? Peter Drucker once said “there is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all”.

Assuming that you answered yes to the above, you are now ready to start to solve the problem at hand.  There are numerous tools and techniques that can be applied to help you to identify the route cause of the problem, and so I will simply give you a check list that you may find helpful the next time you are presented with a problem.

1. Do you understand the problem?  If no, carry out further analysis until you have identified the underlying cause of the problem before you set about trying to fix it.
2. Confirm that you really should be doing the task in the first place. Remember what Drucker said.
3. Identify potential solutions to fix the problem.
4. Evaluate the alternative solutions to find the most appropriate and cost effective solution.
5. Implement the solution.
6. Monitor the impact of your change to ensure that you realize the result you expected.
7. Where necessary take additional measures to bring about lasting, sustainable improvement.

I hope you find the checklist helpful.
Good Luck.

Should you require further help please contact “121″. We have experience of designing and implementing tailored solutions that will bring about sustainable improvement. In summary, we care and we are there to help you.

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