2 Thoughts - Their Solution Vs Your Advice

#1: Their Solution Vs Your Advice

Have you ever come up with the (obvious) solution only to have it summarily rejected?

I went to an event with 80+ business owners last week and I decided to lean into my uncomfortable super power - asking intense questions in a 1 on 1 setting.  

My goal is this - find the actual pain, get a draft solution, use that to ask targeted questions until they come up with their own final solution.  

I've been honing this technique for years.  In the beginning, I only asked enough questions to get a rough idea of MY solution... also known as advice.  I would then present that as fact, congratulate myself profusely, and move on.  

The problem with that? No problem gets solved. Why?  Because the owner didn't go through the mental steps necessary to confidently embrace it.  

And my advice wasn't even complete, because I didn't have all the facts like they did.

The way a great leader gets problems solved is by asking questions, not giving demands.  I'm still not 100% on this - like all impatient people I struggle to not assert my will.  However, when you see the light bulb go off in someone's eyes, and see them get excited about executing their solution - that's success.

#2: One Question to Ask Your Team

There is a technique called "The 5 Whys".  Next time a team member presents a problem, trying asking them "Why?" 5 times to get to the root cause and get their mental gears turning.