Management advice - get to the root of the problem

For most managers, a portion of almost every day is spent addressing the problems that arise in the course of running a business. These problems could be anything from staffing issues to declining production. Perhaps you are seeing a drop from the usual standards of quality in manufacturing that is leading to less satisfied customers. Whatever the problem, a manager has a responsibility to understand the problem, take steps to ensure that the problem is solved, and followed to ensure that the desired results. Many managers struggle, however, with the treatment of symptoms as they arise, rather than get to the root of the problem. One of the most important management advice we can give is to take the time to discover what is really causing the problems you are trying to solve.

There are two types of problems that can arise in a business. The first category we call "hard problems", a group that would include lost sales, poor customer service, with a decline in terms of overall efficiency, and many other symptoms of deeper problems. The second category we call "soft issues", a group that includes the attitudes of the working poor and negativity in the minds of workers. These problems are generally more difficult to define, but in many cases, are the very problems that are causing the problems "hard" to be a problem.

As a manager, get to the bottom of soft issues is the key to eliminating the problems permanently instead of temporarily.

Lee Iacocca, former chairman of Chrysler, once said, "Quality, after all, is influenced by something as simple as a set of values ​​of a person ... If a person is going to do a good job, has got to be as to work. He has been saying to himself, 'I'm going to do something great today,' and he got to say that every day. "Iacocca realized the importance of a problem as simple as make sure that the soft Your employees are motivated to excel in their work rather than fulfill their duties and collect a paycheck. A manager has a great influence on the attitudes of those he or she is responsible for management, and a lot of difficult issues can be avoided if the problem is influenced soft and managed properly.

There are countless stories of employees who become more productive simply because they are assigned a new manager. A company that makes cardboard boxes in the northwest Pacific recorded a 25% increase in productivity after a manager was replaced. The process of making cardboard boxes does not change, nor the tools available to employees. The change was a change in mentality, led by a manager who has pride in ensuring that team members were happy and proud that their work.

There is no magic potion to help a manager get to the root of problems. The key ingredient is that each manager can have, and this is the desire to address the soft issues and trust that the hard problems largely take care of themselves .......