Be Solution Focused Instead of Problem Focused

“Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.”  ~ Glenn Turner

The same can be said about being problem focused rather than solution focused. At iMoneyCoach, we have a Financial Constitution, sort of a list of the basic principles that we live by and encourage others to live by as well. One of those principles is to be solution focused rather than problem focused.

It sounds nice and all, but what does it mean? Let me give you an example from a case study on management in Japan:

One of Japan’s largest cosmetic companies received a complaint that a customer had bought a box of soap that turned out to be empty. The authorities immediately isolated the problem to the assembly line where all of the packaged boxes of soap were prepared for delivery – for some reason a box had made it through the line empty. So management asked its engineers to solve the problem.

The engineers came up with an intensive plan, whereby they devised an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by 2 people. It watched all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. This was a big and expensive solution.

Now, an employee in a small company was posed with the same problem. But he came up with a different solution. He simply bought a strong industrial fan, pointed it at the assembly line, and any empty boxes were blown out of the line when they passed. This was a fast, inexpensive solution compared to what the team of engineers came up with.

The point of this story is to remind you to look for simple solutions. The small company employee was not focused on a huge problem he had to solve. Rather, he came up with a simple solution and saved a lot of time and money. When we focus on coming up with a simple solution, we are able to move forward instead of getting stuck staring a problem in the face.

At iMoneyCoach we have placed this goal of being solution focused as opposed to problem focused in the “Personal” category, meaning in your thoughts and emotions. But it can have wonderful results when applied to other areas as well – Think of how your relationships can blossom when you apply it there. Or if you apply it at work, you will end up creating more value for your employer and may be able to see more promotions or raises come through (this would certainly benefit the “Finances” area of your life!). It is a principal you should keep in mind often and try to incorporate as often as possible.

Tags: financial constitution, focus, personal, problem, solution