Taking problems into the ring
And why taking on the right problems helps to make the business better
Howdy,
I hope you’re doing safe and well. I for one had a wonderful Easter weekend. No work. No social media. No commitments other than spending quality time with my family - and some heavy landscaping of the garden too.
I feel refreshed - I hope you do too.
In this edition:
Solo Waffle
Substack Notes - like Twitter but better
Article - Problems in the ring
Interesting Links
We’re very close to house build time here at Lambert Towers (actually we live in a 1960’s three-bedroom house not a tower but I find the grandeur appealing). We’re close to signing the deal. We’re close to embarking on a year of carnage. We’re close to uprooting our boy’s lives.
I’m certain it will be worth it, but these life decisions don’t come without a heavy burden of guilt. I’m sure, when the three boys have got their own rooms, it will be worth it!
I’m also embarking on a 17 week “fix Rob’s health” routine. Why 17 weeks? Well, that’s about how long it is until we go on holiday to Spain :) I am that vain.
But seriously, it’s more than that. I’ve spoken before about the pillars of life - health being one of them. And I let health crumble as I built the other pillars - and it is now time to repay that debt.
I’ll be sharing some behind the scenes stuff on Instagram about this journey if you’re interested. My eldest is joining me on it: boxing, ski machine, weights, stretching, skipping and mountain biking. And of course, plenty of basketball.
When we let one pillar slip we must recognise that we will have a debt to pay at some point.
Substack Notes
Substack have just released their new product called Notes. It’s basically like Twitter but better (in my opinion). It’s available on the app or the website and allows writers to share images, thoughts, quotes, links etc.
I’ve spent a little time on it today and I’m very impressed. I shall be using it more and more to interact and share ideas around communication in the workplace.
If you’re interested then my first “note” was a reply to a thread showing our workplaces - nothing groundbreaking but fun. The potential Notes has is immense - so much so that Elon Musk has blocked links to substack from Twitter. How mature..
Taking problems into the ring
Sticking with the boxing theme, one way I explain the activity of solving problems to leaders and managers, is that they must enter the ring each day at work and take on the problems standing between where they are now and where they want to get to.
Problems are the main domain of leaders and managers. And problems are one side of a coin - on the other side are opportunities. When we solve a problem we open up an opportunity. When we take on an opportunity, we often create a problem (and this is a good thing..sometimes).
Overcoming these problems is how to Release Business Agility. (See this previous email about Releasing Agility)
Problems will come at you thick and fast as a manager and leader. Some of them will have been created by yourself, and your team. Other problems will have been created by other employees, the market, customers and many other sources.
A good business will have interesting problems but there will be torrents of them.
It will feel like you’re sinking in problems as they come thick and fast and steadily. You’ll be living and breathing problems at work and then taking them home with you if you’re not careful.
It can feel like you’re entering the ring each day with the problems, to see who wins, and the problems keep taking the trophy.
With so many problems around you, it can be tempting to take on the shiny ones, the interesting ones, the obvious ones, the problems with a simple fix. Anything to get on top of the problems.
But this could be a mistake.
Problems are everywhere in business and there are always more than you can take on at any given time.
To get on top of the problems and feel like you’re winning, it’s important to be selective. It’s important to ignore the many and focus on the few with the biggest prize for overcoming them.
This requires focus.
And in my experience, the problems that need the focus aren’t the shiny, simple, obvious ones —> instead, it is the gnarly deep-rooted ones that have the biggest prize attached.
The problems everyone else ignores. The problems that go across functional boundaries. The problems that people tell you have been there for years.
Your challenge is to enter the metaphorical ring with those problems. To tackle them and bring them down. To solve them.
The first step to overcoming the right problems is to understand them.
Once you understand them, you can measure the value of solving them and work out how to take them on and remove them.
And once you know the value of solving them, you can prioritise your energy and attention at work. And it all starts by realising there are too many problems to solve, then working out which of them you want to invest in.
Don’t look at problems are problematic; they are simply the fuel of management and leadership.
Good problems are energising and positive.
And it may sound tedious to spend each day overcoming problems - but remember - a good business has interesting problems.
And interesting problems open opportunities, attract talented people to solve them and will make the business better. Overcoming problems is how you release agility, build good teams and add value to your customers.
But remember this.
Problems at work should remain where they belong —> at work.
They will still be there tomorrow. Leave them at work.
Come back refreshed. Enter the ring. And turn those interesting problems into interesting opportunities by solving them in interesting ways with interesting people.
Until next week
Rob..
Interesting Links
I’ll be honest - I was utterly underwhelmed this week with my usual RSS and email feeds. So much so that I only pulled out two worth sharing. I could add more but I’d be doing you a dis-service. Hoping for better content next week.
Some thoughts on mastery and the opinions of others - From the daily stoic
As Marcus Aurelius writes, “Ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do. Self-indulgence means tying it to the things that happen to you.” But real success, real mastery, real sanity? That, he says, comes only by “tying it to your own actions.”
A guide to learning how to rest - worth a good long restful read. An important topic for sure.
If you’re particularly busy and highly driven, you need to give the benefits of rest a chance to manifest. Don’t rush it. Remember, rest is a skill that improves with practice. Just as it takes time to settle into a new job or place, or a few days to shift into vacation mode, so too will your mind require time to start harnessing the power of rest.
Have a cracking week.
Until next time.
Rob..