11/ 30/ 2007
by Shannon McRae
How to encourage creative problem solving among your employees
At Portland, Ore.-based Ziba Design, pessimists need not apply. "Good problem solvers are optimistic: They love to look at the possibilities," says Sohrab Vossoughi, founder and president of the 120-person design consultancy firm. "If you're not an optimist, you can't get anything done."
As any small-business owner knows, you're only as successful as the poorest problem solver on your staff. Even if making good decisions comes naturally for you, teaching employees to use sound judgment is crucial for your business' growth. You can't make all the decisions for your business every day, so use these tips to teach your staff to think (wisely) for themselves:
Back off. "You don't want to micromanage people," Vossoughi says. If you're constantly hovering over employees, "you're not giving them room to solve problems or make mistakes." Start small by letting key employees make decisions you usually handle. As their confidence (and your trust) grows, give them more autonomy.
Practice empathy. Once you decide to start letting go, you have to expect that employees will occasionally make bad decisions. But jumping all over someone for handling something differently than you would have kills the creative atmosphere on your team. "People have to feel comfortable making mistakes," Vossoughi says. "You can't teach a child to walk if they never fall down."
Major offenses should be discussed, of course, but allowing employees to think for themselves doesn't require constant reprimanding. "Put up a guardrail, but allow for mistakes," Vossoughi says.
Take time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and most big problems aren't solved that quickly, either. Encourage employees to slow down and deliberate. Even if your office environment is a hectic one, make sure everyone is taking time to think before they respond.
Encourage collaboration. The best problem solvers understand the context of a situation. But when the marketing department doesn't know what the production department is doing, it's hard for anyone to make the best decision for the business.
At Ziba Design, there are no walls or partitions. A graphic designer might sit next to an engineer. "We have employees with different backgrounds and expertise," Vossoughi says. "We mix people—physically—so they'll understand each other's work. That way, they feel more confident when they're solving problems."
Lead by example. Problem solving is a learned skill. Teach employees on your team to think for themselves by letting them watch you get to the bottom of difficult situations. They'll understand your decisions better and know what you expect from them in the future.
