Training Won’t Fix Your Problem - Part 5

Congratulations! You made it to the end. You’ve done the following:

Identified the problem

Identify possible solutions

Selecting the solution

Implementing the solution (Execution)

Now you get to bask in the sunshine and relax. Not quite, as there’s one more step to take; monitor and adjust. At that is something we sometimes forget to do in the desire to “just get it done.” Let’s break this down between the two: Monitor and Adjust.

Monitoring is simply watching to see your solution in action. Is it working? How do you know? Did you remember to identify what success looks like in your scoping phase? If so, you’ll be effective in identifying if you need to adjust. If not, you’re just guessing or going off of “feelings.” And that’s not going to end well (well, maybe, but that’s putting all your eggs in the luck basket). 

The other issue with monitoring is not letting your solution run long enough to see what happens. Change is hard and we will complain. And complain. And complain. Are you ready? Did you set expectations that this was going to be implemented and then observed for a specific number of days? Did you set up a system to gather feedback rather than allowing everyone to fill your inbox? If not, prepare for pandemonium. Spend a few minutes planning on the front end or you’ll end up wasting time and momentum answering email. 

After you’ve been monitoring for a set period of time and gathered your observations, you may need to make some adjustments. Some of the adjustments might be ones you thought about before you implemented the solution and will be easy to make since you more than likely ready for those. Implement and monitor.

The other type of adjustment comes from user feedback. And user feedback must be measured by quantity and quality. If it’s one person, it might be that they need some more reinforcement. If it’s a large number, you’ll need to dive in to see what the root cause is and if they’re all saying the same thing. You might have a bigger problem on your hands if a large group is having issues.

As for quality, you need to consider the source. We all know the chronic complainer who will submit low quality feedback on everything. Nothing is ever good enough for them. Of course, they don’t have a solution, they just want to “share their voice.” Should you read it? Yes, because you are humble and don’t have an issue with the complainer. Read, think, and then discard. The other side of the coin is the feedback from trusted sources who have provided good feedback in the past and who will also propose possible solutions. It’s important enough to say again: Choose your sources wisely.

Solving problems doesn’t have to be a nightmare, if you have a simple to follow process to guide you. Hopefully, this has been helpful to increase your probability of problem solving success. I know it’s been beneficial for me to ensure I stay on the path and be disciplined in my problem solving efforts.

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