Some problems just don’t seem to go away. They aren’t being ignored. Some of the biggest on-going problems in organizations have had teams working on them on and off for years. This isn’t unique to just one company or industry either. It happens everywhere. It’s certainly not for a lack of effort or creativity. More often than not lack of progress results from one of five issues:
- Solving the wrong problem
- Framing problems around solutions rather than outcomes
- Identifying solutions that just make you “whole” instead of moving you ahead
- Not finding ways to quickly and efficiently implement those solutions.
- Focusing more on being new and different than on solving the problem
With increased pace and pressure, many leaders believe that they must choose between taking time to think or executing. This is a false assumption. Effective leaders know how to employ strategic tactics. This requires developing the ability to think critically and challenge assumptions while making day-to-day decisions.
Critical thinking needs to be happening all the time – especially during execution. After all, that is the only point at which your actions have consequence. Look at the most critical or devastating execution mistakes in your business. For some, following the plan closely enough wasn’t the issue. Rather you may have executed it too well without stopping to think about whether it was still applicable.
Contact us today if you’d like to break through the complex, messy, and overwhelming issues that are holding you back.
