How to Maximize Employee Problem-Solving Skills

When people come to us with a problem, it is tempting to provide an instant answer. After all they came for our expertise and there is nothing so rewarding as getting a dopamine hit in our brain when we know the answer. Ahhh. Such fun.   However, the path to accountability is filled with asking good questions and creating space for others to think and solve rather than us providing answers.   Often just by asking the questions below, an individual will have a breakthrough and discover a solution on their own.   FOCUS QUESTIONS ON THEIR INSIGHT These questions can be applied to executive meetings, coaching employees, and solving our own problems.   1.    What is the problem you are trying to solve? It is so tempting to skip this step, but it is essential if you want to create ownership. I find I have to help people step back from their need for a quick answer and help them understand the context of their problem. When you help them frame the problem, the problem is often half solved.   2.    What are the main obstacles to solving the problem? Gaining context to where and how the problem exists provides guidelines for what the eventual solution will be. Without this clarity, they can create an overly simplistic or complex answer.   3.    What have you already tried? Avoid the temptation to jump in and give advice. They don’t need it. Most people have already done a lot of thinking and attempts before asking for input.   4.    What happens if you don't solve this problem? This question helps create a deeper sense of urgency and ownership. It also reveals key issues that the final solutions will have to solve for.   5.    How would you know you succeeded? The answer gives the parameters and evidence needed to know a solution would be a success. Without this answer, their solution is unlikely to meet all the needs.   6.    What do you think you need to succeed? The focus is on the individual’s ability to think and act. They are creating answers for the future. They are becoming better problem solvers and being more accountable.   MAKE SPACE As I ask these questions, I work hard to not fill in the silence with my insights. I do have ideas on what they should do. But I will never make them more accountable if I keep sharing my expertise. Each of us can create a more accountable workplace by the space we create to help others think. How do you create more accountability? embrace your #pitofsuccess Dave Ulrich Neil Hunter Tracy Maylett, Ed.D. Tyson Lutz Destanee Casillas, MSOD Gwendolyn F. Turner Lisa Strogal, MBA, MCC, RYT Vanessa Homewood Tia Newcomer Clint Betts Chris Deaver Gina London Joy Moore Kendall Lyman

Something that sounds stupidly simple, but often doesn’t come naturally to founders: One of the biggest gifts you can give someone is to make them feel capable of handling things themselves. What you’ll think this means is showing them all manner of ways they could solve it. Jumping into problem solving right away. This might help - it often does. But it can also wait. There’s something way more important to do first. What is actually needed first is an extreme form of listening that can take a lot of practice to get right. Ask an open ended question and shut up, maintain eye contact, make encouraging noises and do not interrupt. Ask if there’s more. Repeat. You’ll create space for them to creatively think about their own problem. It’s about them. Not you. Let go of your need to be helpful by making comments or suggestions. Be the coach, not the hero. If you start by solving, people feel judged and bombarded rather than soothed or understood. You can move into solve mode later don’t worry. This will leave them feeling greater autonomy and competence, and encourages them to naturally stay in discovery mode. Once you’ve spent some time in this place, more than you think you want to, THEN you can ask what they want to do, and then there may or may not be a natural place to great creative with them about possible approaches. They’ll feel supported, and most times solve their own problem right there, with you taking the role of a mirror that shows them their own resourcefulness. Over time this compounds into highly effective, self reliant humans, capable of interrogating their own challenges more creatively. Jumping into solve mode straight away is only investing in you continuously being the source of good ideas, which neither scales nor is it probably right (founder mode aside, your people will collectively have more better ideas than you will.) Life as a founder is more fun when our colleagues are in good form and feel powerfully capable.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝟗𝟎 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎? 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅. Customer delivery was failing. Promises missed. Revenue bleeding. The entire meeting: "Whose fault is this?" Sales blamed Operations. Operations blamed Product. Product blamed Sales for unrealistic timelines. Sales blamed Leadership. Round and round. Finally, the COO stopped it: "I don't care whose fault it is. What's broken?" They mapped the process. Found the real issue in 15 minutes: a system handoff no one owned. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 90 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 "𝘸𝘩𝘰." 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 "𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵." 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅, 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔: Mistake 1: They hunt for WHO instead of WHAT Blame dissipates energy. It feels productive—someone’s accountable!—but it solves nothing. Quality thinker W. Edwards Deming estimated that most failures come from systems and processes, not individual employees. Yet we spend most problem-solving time on people. Mistake 2: They add resources to broken systems "We’re overwhelmed. Hire more people." But if the process takes 47 steps when it should take 12, more people just means more people struggling. 𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎-𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 When a problem hits: 𝟏. 𝐁𝐚𝐧 "𝐖𝐇𝐎" 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟑𝟎 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 ❌ "Whose fault is this?" ✅ "What's happening? What's the actual symptom?" Focus on facts first. Blame later (or never). 𝟐. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 Don’t solve symptoms. Use the 5 Whys: → Delivery late. Why? → Backlog. Why? → Orders spiked. Why? → Sales overpromised. Why? → Comp plan rewards speed, not feasibility. 𝟑. 𝐀𝐬𝐤: "𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌?" If 3+ people struggle with the same thing, it’s not them. It’s the process. Fix the system first. Then see if you need more capacity. 𝟒. 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭: 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠? Problem-solving reveals character. Are you blaming or building? Reactive or strategic? Covering or learning? 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵. 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴. 𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕: → What problem are you "solving" by hiring more people instead of fixing the process? → When did you last spend more energy on WHO than WHAT—and what did it cost? (Next time a problem hits, ban blame for 30 minutes. Watch what shifts.) Next week: 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 — anticipating problems before they become crises. 𝘗.𝘚. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦? → 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒆 https://lnkd.in/gi-u8ndJ 𝘗.𝘗.𝘚. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵-𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮-𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺? 𝘋𝘔 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. #TheInnerEdge #ProblemSolving #RootCauseAnalysis #StrategicLeadership

Passionate problem solvers are easy to label as "too negative" or "having an agenda". Here's a good approach to bringing people on the journey: 1. Start with what you see and hear Describe specific behaviors, patterns, or outcomes as objectively as possible (knowing that we can never be truly objective). Be mindful of your potential biases. Are your emotions and perspective narrowing what you bring up? Avoid using loaded or triggering language. Keep it neutral and clear. 2. Invite others to share what they see and hear By starting with your own observations, you are setting an example for the rest of the team. Invite the team to share their perspectives and observations in ways that focus on understanding, rather than labeling or jumping to conclusions. In the right context, it might be better to start here. 3. Look inwards, observe, and listen Just as you describe outward behaviors, turn inward and notice how you feel about what you’re seeing and hearing. Instead of saying, “This place is a pressure cooker,” try, “I feel a lot of pressure.” Avoid jumping to conclusions or ascribing blame. Again, invite other people to do the same. 4. Spot areas to explore With observations and emotions on the table, identify areas worth examining. Avoid rushing to label them as problems or opportunities. Instead, frame them as questions or areas to look into. This keeps the tone open and focused on discovery. 5. Explore and go deeper As potential areas emerge, repeat the earlier steps: describe what you see, invite others to share, and observe how you feel. It is a recursive/iterative process—moving up and down levels of detail. 6. Look for alignment and patterns Notice where people are starting to align on what they’d like to see more—or less—of. Pay attention to areas where there’s consistent divergence—these are opportunities as well. Ask, “What might it take to narrow the divide?” 7. Frame clear opportunities Once patterns emerge, focus on turning them into clear opportunities. These are not solutions—they’re starting points for exploration. For example: “We could improve this handoff process” or “We’re not all on the same page about priorities.” Keep it actionable and forward-looking. 8. Brainstorm small experiments Use opportunities as a springboard to brainstorm simple, manageable experiments. Think of these as ways to test and learn, not perfect fixes. For example: “What if we tried a weekly check-in for this process?” Keep the ideas practical and easy to implement. 9. Stay grounded and flexible Be mindful of how the group is feeling and responding as you brainstorm. Are people rushing to solutions or becoming stuck? If so, take a step back and revisit earlier steps to re-center the group. 10. Step back. Let the group own it Once there’s momentum, step back and hand over ownership to the group. Avoid holding onto the issue as “your problem.” Trust the process you’ve built and the team’s ability to move things forward collectively.

Problem-Solving Is a Verb, Not a Noun In many organizations, problem-solving is treated like a concept — something you learn in a training or list on a resume. But real impact doesn’t come from knowing about problem-solving. It comes from doing it. Problem-solving is a verb. It lives in action — not in decks, dashboards, or laminated posters. Visual Management: Built to Solve, Not to Admire Tier boards, KPIs, hour-by-hour charts — they exist for one reason: To make problems visible, solvable, and preventable. They’re not there to color-code your way to green before the site director walks by. If your board looks perfect but no one’s solving anything, it’s decoration — not management. Tier Meetings: Where Problem-Solving Culture Starts Tier 1 meetings should solve 80% of problems — right at the source, by the people doing the work. If every issue escalates to Tier 3 or CI, you don’t have a tier system — you have a fire drill. Simple tools like 5-Why, checksheets, and immediate containment should be the norm, not the exception. Pareto to Prioritize. 8-Step to Solve. Here’s how high-performing teams operate: 1. Use Pareto to identify the top recurring issues. 2. Apply 8-Step Problem Solving only to those — not every squeaky wheel. Use 8-Step for: • Cross-functional or cross-shift issues • Customer complaints or audit findings • Safety or compliance risks • Anything that keeps coming back Don’t waste 8-Step rigor on one-off hiccups. Use your data to pick the right battles. Tier Meeting Power Questions To shift from reporting to solving, ask: • “What problem did we actually solve yesterday?” • “Is this a one-time issue or a trend?” • “What’s the real root cause — not just the symptom?” • “Who owns the countermeasure?” • “How will we know it worked?” • “If it comes back tomorrow, what’s our next move?” And the one that cuts through the noise: “Are we solving the problem — or just passing it along?” Making Tier Meetings Matter • Let the gap drive the conversation — not the metric. • Push ownership to the lowest responsible level. • Build visual triggers that demand action, not just updates. • If it hits Tier 3, require full 8-Step rigor. • Celebrate fixes, not just escalations. Final Thought Pareto helps you focus. 8-Step helps you go deep. Tier meetings give you rhythm. But none of it matters unless someone takes action. Because no board, no chart, no meeting has ever solved a problem on its own. Problem-solving is a verb. It starts at Tier 1. #continuousimprovement #lean #leadership

I timed it yesterday: A leadership team spent 47 minutes "solving" the same issue they've tackled in every meeting for the past 4 months. Sound familiar? They identified symptoms, not causes. Everyone had opinions, few had solutions. They created action items no one completed. The problem returned, slightly repackaged. This isn't just inefficient. It's the silent killer of growing businesses. After implementing EOS with 500+ entrepreneurial companies over 15 years, I've found teams waste up to 68% of their meeting time on recurring issues that never get solved at the root. The difference between teams that solve issues once and teams stuck in the loop isn't intelligence. It's methodology. Enter the Issues Solving Track - the EOS tool that transforms how leadership teams attack problems: 1. IDENTIFY the real issue Most teams get this wrong. They discuss symptoms, not causes. Try this instead: → Write the issue as one clear sentence → Ask "Why is this happening?" three times → Determine if it's a people issue, process breakdown, or communication gap A manufacturing client kept "solving" quality problems until they properly identified the real issue: unclear quality standards, not lazy employees. 2. DISCUSS with discipline The discussion phase isn't: → A platform for the loudest voice → A place for tangents and war stories → A political positioning exercise It is: → A focused examination of relevant facts → A space for diverse perspectives → A way to challenge assumptions respectfully The best teams have a designated facilitator who keeps discussion on track and ensures every voice contributes. 3. SOLVE completely The only reason to discuss an issue is to solve it. When you've reached clarity, document: → A specific action step → One person accountable (not a department) → A concrete due date (not "ASAP" or "ongoing") Then move on. No revisiting. No second-guessing. A software company I work with was averaging 3.5 hours in weekly leadership meetings. After implementing the Issues Solving Track, they cut meeting time to 90 minutes while solving twice as many issues. The best businesses aren't the ones without problems. They're the ones that solve problems at the root. Want to implement the Issues Solving Track in your business? Use the process below 👇

The best leaders don’t just give orders—they leverage their team’s strengths to solve problems together. This reduces the cognitive load at the top and spreads it across the organization, making it more efficient and creative. People want to feel useful, valued, and heard. When you tap into what they’re great at and let them shape improvements, they take ownership—and that’s when real change happens. The Problem: People Feel Stuck & Frustrated When employees hit friction in their work, they often don’t speak up—because they think nothing will change. This leads to frustration, disengagement, and inefficiency. Meanwhile, leaders try to fix things from the top down without fully understanding the problem—wasting time, money, and energy on solutions that don’t stick. The Solution: Leverage Strengths, Not Just Systems Instead of dictating change, bring your team into the process. Find out where they feel stuck, and help smooth out the friction. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Listen First 🔹 Hold working sessions, not just meetings—ask employees what’s slowing them down. 🔹 Gather feedback from the front lines—they see the problems leadership often misses. 2️⃣ Identify Superpowers 🔹 What unique skills or perspectives does each person bring? 🔹 Who naturally spots inefficiencies? Who excels at problem-solving? 3️⃣ Empower People to Own Solutions 🔹 Instead of handing them an answer, ask: “How would you fix this?” 🔹 Encourage experimentation—small tests lead to big improvements. 4️⃣ Support & Iterate 🔹 When friction appears, help smooth it out—don’t let people stay stuck. 🔹 Recognize what’s working and adjust what’s not—this keeps momentum going. People don’t want to be told what to do—they want to contribute to meaningful change. When you tap into their strengths and let them help shape solutions, they don’t just accept improvements—they own them. How do you leverage your team’s superpowers?

Your IT team doesn't need more tech skills; they need better problem solvers. When I began as an intern at Delta Dental, I quickly learned that tech skills alone weren't enough. Knowing code and systems is crucial, but their problem-solving ability truly sets an IT team apart. Why? Because the digital landscape is ever-changing, and new challenges arise daily. Having a team that adapts, thinks critically, and finds solutions is invaluable. Here's why problem-solving trumps tech skills: ▶️Tech changes, but principles don’t. Programming languages evolve, but core problem-solving principles remain constant. ▶️Better communication. Problem solvers articulate issues clearly and collaborate effectively. ▶️Proactive thinking. They anticipate problems before they arise, reducing crises. ▶️Improved innovation. Teams that creatively solve problems drive innovation. How to foster better problem solvers: ▶️Encourage curiosity. Promote a culture where questions are welcomed. ▶️Provide real-world challenges. Give your team problems that mimic real issues. ▶️Promote continuous learning. Focus on critical thinking and strategic planning. ▶️Create a safe space for failure. Allow your team to experiment without fear of repercussions. As a leader, your goal isn't just to keep up with the latest tech; it's to develop thinkers who can navigate digital complexities. What strategies have you found effective in building a problem-solving culture? Let's discuss below.

How do you teach someone problem-solving skills? The first step is not giving them a problem to solve… it’s asking them to go find a problem! Recent OECD studies indicate that problem-solving skills, (particularly among adults!!) are not meeting the demands of today's rapidly evolving world. Leaders and manager are in prime position to change this in 2025!! 🧠 Problem-solving starts with the right mindset. Encourage a growth mindset where challenges are seen as opportunities to learn and improve. 🤔 And then it’s about cultivating curiosity- asking why they think something is happening, not just what is happening. Help them explore it from every angle (systems perspective): what’s really going on, who’s affected, and what makes it a problem in the first place. ⏸️ Stress the value of fully understanding the problem before jumping into solutions. A well-defined problem is half-solved. ❔ Focus on asking great questions...like "Who is affected by this problem, and how do they experience it?" and "What have we tried before, and why didn’t it work?" 📉 A lot of the time, gaps in problem solving skills are caused by lack of analytical skills...problem-solving isn’t just about finding answers; it’s about collecting and interpreting data. So, teach them to look for patterns, trends, and evidence that validate or disprove assumptions. 👂 Teach them also the importance of collaboration- help them learn how to listen actively to others’ ideas and build on them. 🧘♀️ Problem-solving can be frustrating. You may also need to help them develop emotional regulation skills to stay calm and focused. 🥼 Finally, guide them to test their solutions step-by-step, learn from what works (or doesn’t), and keep adjusting until they solve it. Problem-solving is a skill that improves with practice. Create opportunities for them to tackle real-life scenarios in safe, low-stakes environments. 👋 Don't forget to check in with the person regularly to reflect on their lessons learned and progress. Advise them that problem-solving doesn’t end when a countermeasure is implemented. There's a process to go through to monitor results, refine the approach, and find the next related problem to tackle. 🪜 And finally, I find that it's much easier to teach problem-solving with a structure or methodology that gives people a clear guide to thinking more scientifically. A clear, repeatable framework like the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle or the DMAIC (Define-Measure- Anayze-Improve-Control) are good options! What do you think? How do you teach #problemsolving skills to the people on your team? Leave your comments below 🙏

"Can you help me solve this?" How many times have you heard this from your team? If you're a leader, probably hundreds of times. I used to get frustrated when team members would dump problems on my desk without thinking them through. Then I discovered the 1-3-1 rule and it transformed how we solve challenges at our company. Here's the magic formula: 1️⃣ Problem: Define it crystal clear • A problem well-articulated is half solved • Encourage precise, thoughtful problem statements 3️⃣ Options: Generate 3 viable solutions • Forces creative thinking • Demonstrates proactive problem-solving • Shows the team isn't just waiting for a rescue 1️⃣ Recommendation: Their proposed solution • 90% of the time, this is what leaders want to hear • Shows they’ve done the mental heavy lifting By implementing this: We're pushing decision-making to the frontline. The people experiencing the problem have the most information to solve it. It helps build a culture of: • Critical thinking • Ownership • Empowerment • Strategic problem-solving Pro tip: Teach this framework to your entire team. Watch how it transforms your organizational problem-solving approach. Have you tried something similar?