Making the decision to solve problems requires a conscious effort. Too often job demands get in the way, and you work around challenges rather than face them head on. This can cost you a lot of time, money and energy.
7 tips to facilitate strategically workable and financially rewarding solutions
Have the Right Mindset. If you and your team members don’t believe you can resolve the issue, you won’t. Make a commitment to create a win-win-win solution (for the company, customer, employee, community, vendor, etc.). As the facilitator, you are in the best position to lead your team to create solutions that are easier and more customer- and employee-friendly.
Create the Best Team. Keep the team small and only select team members who are committed to the process and believe there is a solution. Many times, if you have selected team members that are not committed to this process, the team will go off track and put a band-aid on an issue to make an individual or small group happy. This doesn’t resolve the real problem. To keep the team focused and committed, it will require you to stay on top of the team’s progress, ask on-point questions and stay positive.
Brainstorm for Success. By being a strong facilitator, you can bring out everyone’s thoughts and opinions. Remember, they have the solutions. Stay focused during this process on the current issue. Ask for and include everyone’s input on a chart and do not edit their comments. During brainstorming, there is no such thing as a bad idea. Include everything! Often times, ideas that initially sounded the worse turn out to be the best ones.
Review and Fine-tune. Be responsible and don’t latch onto the first idea presented. Conversely, don’t allow the team to fall into the trap of overthinking; it can be paralyzing. Narrow down the ideas and align them by taking into consideration current policies and procedures, company mission, and business agreements. Before making any changes, talk with others (e.g., vendor rep or human resource manager). Assign individual team members to have these conversations and report back about what may be missing from the solution. Incorporate their findings before making any proposals.
Get Approval. This is where many teams fail. Without the decision-maker’s approval, nothing will happen. Design the plan, budget and timetable in a written format and don’t forget to include pictures, charts and/or metrics. Make sure your proposal is simple: state what the problem is, how to fix the issue, and include supporting documentation. Be prepared to answer the decision-maker’s questions and devise an implementation process that is simple and easy.
Implement and Celebrate! Remember to include a communication and training plan for all employees involved in the new solution. Don’t forget to acknowledge yourself and your team.
You’re not done yet! All new solutions require ongoing follow-ups and tweaks. Include a plan to ensure these are being done until the new solution is no longer new.
©Jeannette Seibly, 2016
Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. Contact her @ http://SeibCo.com/contact