This article is dedicated to one of the finest leaders I have worked with in my three decades of multicountry and multidomain career. According to me this dynamic person continues with his success trail because he possesses an amazing problem-solving mindset. I know Mr. Sanjay Shetye for the past 10 years now and have admired the way his organisation Vinsan World has grown in leaps and bounds steadily. Today, other than a leading integrated communications global firm, the group owns two speciality award winning restaurants, a multi-speciality hospital and more. They are in the travel, pharma business and continuously launch new initiatives.
Its easy to be a fault finder but then what? Most fault finders, just find faults and then watch the moment go by. Problem solvers like Sanjay anticipate situations and pre-empt faults. Solving problems is far more positive than mindless fault finding. Yet fault finders mushroom today in almost any environment. At work teams break because of them.
How do you transit to being a natural problem solver? Here are a few easy steps.
Who is a fault finder?
Basically, this kind of person actually gloats in the misperception that he is the best and that he knows everything. Such human beings are never team players. They are time and task disruptors. Real or genuine input givers are another breed. They use their expertise and knowledge to offer another perspective to better the process and at the end of it all, the results. However, fault finders offer their opinions when no one wants to even hear them. They don’t offer any value. In fact, they add devalue! Construct, don’t become a person who only believes in ‘de-construct’!
Problem solving is a character trait
We say that change is the only constant, but if you look around, you will realise that problems are the other constant. Everyday we handle problems professionally as well as personally. Many of these are unanticipated problems and sometimes these become crisis situations for us which send us off the track. Our progress gets disrupted for a while. Problem solvers know that there are problems and are ready to fight problems. Problems really go away if you hit them head along and of course with purpose and professionalism. However problem solving is truly a character trait. Either you are born with it or you have to grow into it.
Evaluate and chart a plot
You first need to do your own analysis on where you are on the axis of fault finder/problem solver to really view yourself in the reality mirror. The next step is to get some close, genuine friends or well wishers to also evaluate you. Once you put together an analysis of what you think and what others think, atleast you have defined your problem to solve. Specially see the symptoms, do you fault find more than you think? How much problem solving do you really do? The objective then becomes, to get out of fault finding to problem solving and a road map starts to emerge
Follow your roadmap with passion
As you know, any change is difficult to make. What you have now set out to do is change your mindset, or the way you normally are wired to do things. Any change needs consistency and sustained effort. Use passion to fuel your roadmap. Natural problem solvers are a gift, even acquired problem solvers for that matter. When you become a true problem solver you will find several positive changes. People will seek you out as they feel your bounce. You will become more relaxed as a person. Happiness and laughter will follow you, with success wherever you may be.
Just don’t be a fault finder, be a problem solver.
“There’s no use talking about the problem unless you talk about the solution.” Betty Williams
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