Problem-Solving Success Tip: Acknowledge Setbacks and Adjust


By Jeanne Sawyer


If the problem you are working on is significant, you will run into trouble along the way—count on it. Maybe you’ll find that your problem definition is too narrow or too broad. Maybe you’ll find that you missed a key root cause, or misjudged the importance of the causes you did identify. Maybe you’ll find that your corrective action didn’t, in fact, eliminate a root cause. When one or more of these happen to you, recognize what has happened and tell your stakeholders, then back up in the problem-solving process and try again.

Of course, you can also run into the usual risks for any significant project such as key people leaving, priority changes, etc. Setbacks are a normal part of the problem-solving process, but nevertheless can be very discouraging, especially if you think you’re nearing the end of the project when you run into them.

There are two special dangers to watch out for. First is the ostrich effect, where you don’t allow yourself to see the setback or persuade yourself that it’s so minor it will take care of itself. The danger here is rather obvious: if you don’t acknowledge the setback to yourself, then you won’t do anything to recover.

The second danger is to underestimate the impact on your project, and to try to recover quietly so nobody will know that you experienced the setback. Successful problem-solving efforts require open and honest communication among the members of the problem-solving team and with other stakeholders. Trying to hide setbacks destroys your credibility in the long run and limits your options for getting the problem-solving effort back on track. When you communicate a setback to your stakeholders, acknowledge the setback, but also stress what you are doing (or have already done) to address it.

The more quickly you recognize and acknowledge a setback, the sooner you can do something constructive about it, both in taking appropriate corrective action and in communicating the situation.

Copyright 2006. Jeanne Sawyer. All Rights Reserved.

Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens: A Practical Guide to Solving Problems Permanently. Now also an ebook, find out about it and get more free information on problem solving at her web site: www.sawyerpartnership.com.


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Management Information:

Related Articles

Five Ways to Turn Resistance into Opportunity
Resistance. It isn't something people cherish or enjoy encountering.
The High Cost of Employee Turnover Among Project Managers
Imagine for a moment this scenario from a frustrated Senior Manager of a large pharmaceutical organization: "Our organization has experienced a large turnover among project managers in the past year. This creates problems providing ongoing quality and service to our stakeholders.
Print Buying Consultant
Ten Money Saving Tips for Print ManagersDespite their stated desire to realize savings from streamlining the various components associated with the print buying process, it's been my experience over the years, that many print managers neglect to do some of the easy things that can add up to significant cost savings annually. We all know these things, but we don't always do them.
Keep Your Good Workers by Building Good Leaders
A recent report from the American Hospital Association's Commission on the Workforce asked healthcare workers key questions about the performance of their front line managers. The study concluded that an employee's decision to stay with or leave an organization is primarily based on his or her relationship with an immediate supervisor.
Turbo Charge Your Career With The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The Leadership Talk: Part 1
Leaders speak 15 to 20 times daily. You speak at meetings, you speak across their desks, you speak on the phone, you speak in e-mails, you speak at lunch, beside the water cooler, and on elevators, etc.
Unlock the Hidden Creativity of Your Employees
To release creativity in employees, managers must get involved in their employees' work. Look at each employee as if he or she is the expert on the job and tap into their creative energy.
6 Steps To Effective Management During Change
Take the pain out of gain and decrease the upheaval surrounding change by following six commonsense steps to effective management.Step 1: Establish ObjectivesThe process must begin with a clear and detailed statement of objectives and move from there to goal design.
Five Tips for Analyzing an Income Statement
In today's article, we'll be looking at the income statement, which is the most deceptively simple of the major financial statements. I say simple because it's just a list of all the revenue, minus all the expenses, to calculate what's left over in profit.
Business Opportunity - Leverage Your Employees!
As a business asset, they don't sit well on the P&L statement. They aren't valuable like a piece of machinery, or an office block.
Magnificent Meetings - 5 Tips for Success
Your impact at meetings will determine in a big way how well youdo in your career. In other words you will rise as high as yourcommunication skills will let you.
Turning a Negative Employee Into a Positive Asset
Several years ago, I took over the supervision of a section in a Public Agency. I was a newbie in management, enthusiastic, and excited about the opportunity that lay before me.
5 Tips For Creating Great Jobs
1) Create A Powerful "Mission Statement"-When your business mission is clear, every part of your business will improve, because you have a clear, definite major purpose. You will more easily attract people that believe in your mission.
Quick Tips On Bringing Out The Best In People
Want to bring out the best in people?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster, offers the following advice.
Finding Common Ground Through Consensus Decision-Making
It's clear to me that a workplace is a better place when employees truly work in teams, but the most familiar team models we have are those that are created to win wars and games. We have a commander or a coach who gives orders, and the soldiers or the players use those instructions to defeat the opponent.
Christmas Carol Coaching - Help to Get Ahead at Holiday Time!
I've always been fascinated by situations where art imitates real life and right here is a perfect example, which links Christmas and business & personal development.If you want to read about a serious piece of dodgy people management (bordering on potential litigation); a man all adrift with the world and himself; shown how to do it by three visionary experiences (and with a brilliant example of supportive team-building thrown in); and then the ultimate Christmas 'shift'? These are all brilliantly described for your pleasure in a seasonal read of 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.
Management Development - Micromanagement Works!
Getting into the detail of everything each of your people does, will really damage your relationships with them. Sure, there are times where their hand needs to be held, and then there are times when you have to be sensitive enough to their needs to back off and let them learn for themselves.
Eliminate Performance Anxiety Forever
You've had many years of training in your craft as a performer, singer, actor etc. but if you still feel haunted by the ravages of Performance Anxiety your career may be in serious jeopardy.
Five Ways to Increase Profitability By Doing The Right Thing
1. Base your business in the Magic Triangle.
Make the Most of Your Time - Focus on Strengths
Once working and focused in tune with what they do best, your people are freed up to deliver their very best performances. They encourage others to work to their strengths too.
Manufacturing Capacity as a Commodity
Excess capacity in an automobile plant at Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, GM, and Honda is a commodity and those who study finite capacity scheduling modules can readily see the possibilities for increased production and that means profit. Einstein said time is relative, that is true, time is relative, manipulating commodity theoretical models allows companies to see thru time and keep costs and purchases on an even keel without the problems of relative time.