Coming up with a solution, as any self-employed business owner, entrepreneur or solo professional knows is the key to advancing in small business. Small business by its very nature is about successful problem solving.
Yet, as a personal business coach I see clients from time to time get an answer confused with a solution.
An Answer Is Not A Solution
Whether you are starting your own business or running a small business your small business success will depend on coming up with a solution when a problem presents itself.
First of all, problems are inescapable. Having said that, very often when confronted with a problem, most business owners know the answer. Unfortunately, that is where they stop.
An answer to a problem is the first step to a solution. To see if the answer is valid to solve the problem we must be able to come up with the process, or solution, to make sure that the problem doesn’t reoccur or at least is minimized.
Be Solution Oriented
Most of us at one time or another have taken business courses, business training, business skills training or online training. The goal is not only to learn but to be able to apply what you learn to come up with a solution when you face a problem.
As pointed out earlier, many people come up with an answer to a problem An answer comes first but a process or solution comes next. Too often, it is easy to keep learning about a problem without taking action.
Learning without application is nothing. Learning without application is a form of procrastination. And procrastination means that not much is going on to come up with a solution.
A Solution Only Comes Action
To have a solution you must take action. Thinking about it is a necessary step. Talking about it with those to be affected is necessary. But, until your thinking and talking is implemented into a process there is no action and therefore, no solution.
But, many will hesitate taking the action for fear that the solution they have come up with is wrong. When we understand that making mistakes in coming up with the solution is part of the process then we are more open to take action. If we fail with our solution then we have not only found a way things don’t work but we are one step closer to finding a solution that will work.
Steps For A Solution: From John Maxwell’s “The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player
Refuse to give up
- Refuse to give up
- Refocus your thinking
- Rethink Your Strategy
- Repeat the Process
To move forward, keep this question in mind. Do you see a problem in every circumstance or a solution in every challenge?
