How can you create a problem-solving culture in business development?

Use 'Pre-Mortems': during these sessions, team members envision potential project failures and identify underlying reasons. This exercise fosters proactive problem-solving, enables the anticipation of challenges, and prompts the team to develop preemptive mitigation strategies. By preparing for the worst-case scenarios, we equip ourselves with a heightened level of readiness. While projects seldom encounter severe setbacks, this approach ensures that everyone is fully prepared. Consequently, when things progress smoothly, the team experiences a greater sense of satisfaction and confidence in addressing any emerging issues. It's akin to having a cheat sheet for an exam that you don't need to use because you've aced the test! Go team!

Cultivate a business development team that thrives on tackling challenges by: 1. Defining and sharing problems openly, fostering transparency and shared ownership. 2. Empowering team members to ideate, encouraging diverse perspectives and creative solutions. 3. Celebrating both successes and failures as learning opportunities, creating a safe space for experimentation and growth. 4. Promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing, breaking down silos and leveraging collective expertise. 5. Rewarding initiative and problem-solving skills, recognizing those who actively seek solutions and drive progress. With these steps, you'll build a problem-solving powerhouse that thrives on challenges and consistently delivers success.

To effectively address any issue, it's crucial to articulate a clear problem statement, explaining its significance and the parties involved. This aids in unifying your team under a shared vision and goal, preventing unnecessary expenditure of time and resources on inconsequential matters. Utilizing tools like problem statements, problem trees, or problem-solution fit matrices can facilitate breaking down complex problems into more manageable components, identifying root causes, effects, and prioritizing actions for optimal results.

A problem-solving culture in business development is essential for driving growth and success. Strategies include encouraging open communication, promoting a growth mindset, providing training and development, empowering employees to take initiative, setting clear goals, rewarding innovation, promoting cross-functional collaboration, implementing continuous improvement practices, leading by example, and creating a safe space for experimentation. These strategies help organizations drive innovation, overcome challenges, and capitalize on opportunities for sustainable growth and success.

When you communicate the problem, do not forget to communicate the "why we should care", meaning, why should we all be aligned to solve the problem. This can mean the financial incentives, our mission, the "why do you think we can solve it", the sponsors of the activity, the allies, the challenges. Not everyone will embrace this mission until they get the big picture and the "what's in there for me". Lesson learned in a very complex project while at Microsoft Research - Health Solutions Group.

One thing I have found helpful was to get a background on team members and why they are in the team. Often times, we are told to work with people who hold a title or position yet we cannot build trust until we understand their background and experiences. For me, for example, I had the surprise and pleasure to meet some co-workers in the UK which initially I had no idea why they were my "go-to" people for a big mission, and it took me time to get to know them personally - including being to their homes - to fully appreciate how special they were. You don't need to be friends with all your coworkers, yet until you get passed the formalities at work you will never have a true appreciation of their special capabilities.

Effectively addressing challenges involves a collaborative approach rather than a solo endeavor. Engaging and empowering team members in the problem-solving process is crucial, as it allows you to harness their diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences, fostering increased engagement and ownership. Employing techniques like brainstorming, ideation, prototyping, or testing facilitates the generation, evaluation, and validation of multiple potential solutions. This approach not only encourages teamwork but also enables learning from valuable feedback and results.

This is probably the one area I promote more than others. Trying out new things is very important for a companies culture as well as the individual. Experimenting with new ideas is what has brought us a lot of the things we take for granted today and use in our everyday lives! My team has became more creative and more successful when I have allowed new ideas into the equation. It is important to follow the progress, as it can be a fine line if they aren't following any sort of process, but the pride they feel when they have an outside-the-box successful moment will empower them moving forward!

One thing I have found helpful was to include in business reviews - including performance reviews - the "what have you learned" question. Before Satya took over as CEO, Microsoft system would assess basically your achievements. That didn't quite incentivize taking much risk as failure wasn't truly rewarded or appreciated. By showing what you achieved and what you have learned, one can not only create value by doing things, but also by sharing what one has learned - including through experimentations that didn't quite pan out as expected - and help others in the organization grow and develop.

Estimule as pessoas ao ponto delas se sentirem a vontade em errar! Essa segurança permite toda a equipe tentar e aplicar mais do que o normal. Estabeleça objetivos de aprendizado, crie hipóteses, realize experimentos e meça resultados para iterar soluções baseadas em dados e insights.

Test, Re-Test and Re-Re-Test. Prototype your ideas and throw it out to the world, usually people are prone to tell you what's wrong with it, this will help you improve.

My digital health journey has taught me the importance of experimentation. Embracing new ideas and approaches, even in the face of uncertainty, is where breakthroughs happen. Incentivizing this spirit of exploration fosters a culture that isn't afraid to push boundaries, critical in an industry evolving as rapidly as healthcare and technology.

Dan Ariely in his books - including "Predictably Irrational" - called out that humans are triggered by very different things. Financial rewards are not always the main incentive - especially when you're already high in the Maslow pyramid. Make sure people get recognized for their efforts and accomplishments; sometimes a mention is worth more than a bonus.

People can see the whole situation when you openly share successes and failures. This leads to: - mutual respect - stabile mental health - increased productivity For this, the main virtue BDM or the founder must have is vulnerability. Sharing successes is easier for most. Sharing failures takes more courage. Useful concept that can help is REFRAMING. Instead of seeing sharing failure and vulnerability as being weak, ask yourself how can this make your team stronger? Works 100%.

Effective problem-solving extends beyond the process itself; it encompasses both the journey and the destination. Sharing and celebrating successes and failures, not merely the outcomes, is crucial for fostering a culture of recognition, appreciation, and continuous improvement. Utilizing communication channels like newsletters, blogs, podcasts, or events allows for the showcasing of achievements, sharing of insights, acknowledgment of challenges, and inspiration for others. This approach contributes to a dynamic and learning-oriented organizational environment.

Pela minha experiência a melhor forma de desenvolver essas práticas é ampliando o repertório da equipe! Proporcione experiências acima do normal para quem está ao seu lado, quanto mais todos estivermos com diversas referências as soluções serão mais criativas e inovadoras

Companies depend on BDMs who are capable of solving problems adeptly. Although problem-solving is a skill in its own right, a subset of seven skills can help make the process of problem-solving easier. These include analysis, communication, emotional intelligence, resilience, creativity, adaptability, and teamwork. When skillful BDMs solve problems quickly and effectively, workplaces can benefit in a number of ways. These include: Greater creativity, Higher productivity, Increased job fulfillment, Satisfied clients or customers, Better cooperation and cohesion, Improved environments for employees and customers.

In your business journey, view challenges not as obstacles but as unclaimed treasures. Each difficulty is an opportunity to grow, innovate, and stand out. Embrace these moments as chances to showcase your resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. They are not barriers, but stepping stones to success, offering valuable lessons and experiences. As you navigate through these challenges, you'll find they enrich your business acumen, enhance your leadership qualities, and open doors to new possibilities. Remember, the greatest achievements often arise from overcoming the toughest challenges.