WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN EMPLOYEE? Yes – even if you only have one and that one is a family member!
The CEO of Whole Foods, Jason Buechel, stated in an article on June 13, 2024, that he “…looks for strong problem-solving skills.”
I had never thought much about that in my early days of interviewing people but it really resonated with me. It made me think about all the calls I would get during the day, that mostly started with “how should I do…” or “the fridge seems broken, what should I do” or yes, “the toilet is clogged, can you come and fix it”. For the Executive Team I did implement a “please don’t bring me a problem, bring me a solution and we then will discuss it” mindset and it was amazing watching the staff grow and take ownership. I also requested that we move the language from “there’s a problem” to “there’s a challenge” because it sounded more like a task I would want to tackle rather than just one more problem to put on my list.
Mr. Buechel then goes on to say… “A four-step method to solving problems on the job
Different people have different approaches to solving problems at work. Someone may create a team of professionals that can put their heads together. Another person may turn to research to gather information.
However, there’s another underutilized problem-solving hack that almost anyone can use. It’s called design thinking — a method created for professionals in project design, but has since evolved, according to Harvard University’s Business Insights Blog.
Doing it is fairly simple:
- Get clear on a problem in the workplace and the people it affects
- Brainstorm as many solutions as possible
- Narrow down your ideas and home in on the most feasible ones
- Execute the strongest idea, getting feedback from your colleagues and managers during the process
“Using this framework, you can generate innovative ideas that wouldn’t have surfaced otherwise,” writes Catherine Cote, a marketing coordinator for Harvard Business School Online.””
Another part of the article did feature this quote which I really resonated with… ‘My best idea didn’t come when I was sitting tied to a desk’. How often do we try to come up with a solution to something for hours and hours and the next morning when we wake up it’s on the top of our mind. Or we run to get the kids from school, and sitting in the parking lot all of a sudden the answer comes to you like a bolt of lightning. We have to remember that sometimes it’s best to get out of our “problem” to see the problem more clearly. We also have to make sure that we are not the problem before we come up with some grand plan on how to fix it.
One last thing to think about that I feel is really important is – Trying to fix a problem by yourself is possible, but you will only come to a solution based on your knowledge base. If you bring together a team – even people outside your small business – you then multiply your possible solutions and increase your opportunity for a better outcome. But let’s be honest with ourselves. We did not start our own businesses to have someone else tell us what to do. We are confident and knowledgeable about our businesses and we know how to get things done. But that thought process might well be the reason so many businesses fail and fail so quickly.
We do not know everything about everything. We need to continually learn and grow, but we also need to learn how to ask for help. Your staff has quite a bit of experience that is different from yours, as do your family members, friends, networking groups and online groups. Reach out and remember to leave your ego at the door and your listening skills fully engaged. Give credit where credit is due and you will quickly find you have an army helping you succeed rather than standing alone balancing the world.
