Three
Roads to Better Problem Solving
If your startup doesn't have problems, you probably don't have much of a startup. Being an entrepreneur means having to face difficult issues. Learn to get better at approaching them.
BY HOWARD TULLMAN, GENERAL MANAGING PARTNER, G2T3V AND CHICAGO HIGH TECH INVESTORS@TULLMAN
No one should ever use the expression
"stable startup" in polite company because nothing could be more
oxymoronic. Each day in an entrepreneur's life is a personal invitation to one
form of chaos, crisis, confusion or another. It's part of the job description
and always just a question of what's gonna be the next big or little thing
coming around the corner to smack you in the face. This lifestyle may sound
pretty awful, but it's never boring and keeps you on your toes. As my Mom used
to explain: "if it's not one thing, it's another." And the parade of
hits just keeps coming.
But the problems you encounter in doing
anything new and different aren't especially special - they're par for the
course, daily occurrences, and completely normal. And rather than being a sign
of concern, they're actually a
constant source of energy and encouragement for serious business builders.
The best entrepreneurs learn to attack, not
ignore or avoid, their problems. They treat them as opportunities
for rapid change and course corrections. And, as often as not, if they keep
working on solutions, they find a creative way to grow themselves out of their
most pressing problems. I learned a long time ago that sales can solve almost
any startup's problems and cure a multitude of other sins. Contrary to the old
joke, as long as you can count, you actually can often "make it up"
on the volume.
But in approaching and analyzing your problems,
getting the right start is absolutely critical. Too many entrepreneurs
hurriedly grab the nearest and/or quickest solution. They usually discover that
for every problem, there's always one solution that's simple, neat -- and dead
wrong. Others fall back on the same couple of approaches they've always
employed - partly out of habit and partly due to laziness - and partly because
this approach has worked out pretty well for them in the past. But the same
approach isn't going to work in a future where all the rules have changed.
Thinking that anything is going to be
"back to normal" or "business as usual" is a bad strategy
right now, when change is the only constant and new technologies and tools
allow you to try things you never even imagined were possible before. Every
industry and every business is going to be disrupted - much more rapidly than
we ever expected - and changed for good. Hopefully for the
better, too.
Medicine is a great example. I always worry
that my internist doesn't have the time to read up on the massive amount of
medical literature being published about new drugs and procedures, to see if
there are better answers out there for his patients. You and I may know as much
about the latest and greatest promises and advances as your doc does, just from
watching the unending stream of medical ads on television. Everyone wants the
purple pill these days - whatever their symptoms - whether or not that
therapeutic is appropriate for their ailment. The reality is that the
tried-and-true drugs of old probably won't make you worse (or kill you), but
the real question is, what's out there that might make you much better in less
time.
The fact is that, in any kind of research and
decision making, a little patience, some consistent methodology and a better
and broader approach pays off better in the end. You don't have to go slow, but
you've got to be smart about considering all your
options. Yes, I know that "all" is a scary word and I know
all about analysis paralysis as well. I'm not suggesting that you have to wait
until you're "right" or absolutely sure in order to proceed, but
speed alone isn't helpful if you're headed in the wrong direction.
You can increase your odds, improve your
ultimate outcomes, and you won't even materially slow down the entire process
if you just follow a few simple rules.
(1) Look Further. Too many
times we're just in a hurry and we tend to grab the option that is sitting
right in front of us. The one that's fast, easy and even seems reasonable. But
it's often just a make-shift solution that defers the search for a real answer
and is likely to let the problem worsen in the meantime. Worse yet, we fall
into the "either/or" trap of thinking that we have no other way to go
because we haven't taken the time to look more broadly at the universe of
alternatives. You can't effectively evaluate or consider choices that you know
nothing about.
(2) Look Wider. Even when we
have the patience and the discipline to look beyond the quick and easy answer
and start searching for a better response, we don't really commit to the
process. Again, and again, we tend to grab the best next alternative
and declare victory. Juggling several choices isn't easy and it's even harder
when you've got various parties who insist on being part of the decision, so we
are always looking to simplify and shorten the list. But the odds are pretty clear:
if you look at a single alternative, you'll get it wrong more than half the
time. If you carefully and fairly consider two or more alternatives, you'll
make the right decision more than 60% of the time.
(3) Look Deeper. Too often we
get stuck dealing with the most obvious symptoms of a problem and never dig
deeply enough to get to the root cause so that it can be addressed and
resolved. A common reason is that we talk only to our peers and direct reports
instead of seeking input from the field and the front line. Saying what you
think no one wants to hear is never easy, but the best problem solvers I know
are also the very best
listeners
and they make it easy for others to be heard.
Bottom line: it's not one thing. It's not
either/or. It's not what's quick or handy. It's gonna take a little time, a lot
of looking, and some attentive
listening.
But when the dust finally settles, the way forward is clear, and the decision's
made, if you follow these simple rules, you'll be on the right path, with the
right plan, and far ahead of the pack.
DEC 1, 2020
The
opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of
Inc.com.