An oft repeated statement in management is “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.” This maxim though is proving to be counter-helpful as it fosters a culture of fear, and repression of genuine problems until full-blown crises emerge out in the open. Instead, transparent discussions must be held to devise solutions. In order to do so, managers need to follow the example at Microsoft where the top management encouraged the people to talk about bad news. Also, the statements must read as problems and not as complaints. Problems provide authentic businessintelligence through facts and figures as opposed to complaints that are stated in absolutes so frequently include terms such as “always” or “never”. Another important task of the manager is to identify the right people to devise a solution to the problem generated. Such people need be nurtured on company terms on how to negotiate out of such a sticky spot.

Source:https://hbr.org/2017/09/the-problem-with-saying-dont-bring-me-problems-bring-me-solutions

Uploaded Date:15 November 2017