It was a brisk January morning when I was promoted to my first manager role. “Thank you for the opportunity!” I said at a much higher volume than intended.
I was officially the youngest sales manager in the organization’s history, a stat that left me equal parts proud and anxious. I recall standing at the front of the conference room when they announced my promotion and feeling scared that I would be outed at any moment for having absolutely no idea what I was doing.
Nevertheless, I put on a brave face and jumped right in. Determined to prove myself quickly, I prided myself on my response time with my team, on always being ready to step in at a moment’s notice and help as needed with whatever. Supervising a large team, I quickly felt pulled in different directions and that there were not enough hours in the day. While my team members appreciated all the help, I gave them everything I had and went home each night feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
A few months in, I reached out to a leader I trusted for advice. After hearing how tired and anxious I was feeling, he identified the trap I had fallen into. I had become a “super solver.” Many new managers, he explained, see their role as being the person who fixes everyone else’s issues. Super solvers drop everything to help their team and play the hero.
While this makes everyone feel good in the moment, it is the worst thing a manager can do because it creates a culture of learned helplessness. Among other issues, the manager does not enable their direct reports to develop problem-solving skills. Super solvers also have a tendency to burn themselves out with impressive speed.
Listening to my mentor was a big wake-up call, as he exactly described the approach I was taking. Seeing my panicked expression, he assured me this happens often with new managers. My mentor then introduced me to the following model. I have been using the Five Levels of Problem-Solving ever since.
Level 1: I do not know the problem, and I do not know the solution.
Looks Like: An employee runs into my office confused and acting as if their hair is on fire.
Sounds Like: “Something is totally messed up, and I have no idea why. Help!”
Level 2: I know the problem, but I do not know the solution.
Looks Like: An employee runs into my office with a problem and looking for me to solve it for them.
Sounds Like: “My client’s application is screwed up. Can you fix it?”
Level 3: I know the problem. Here are a couple of solutions I have considered. Which one should I choose?
Looks Like: An employee walks into my office after spending some time thinking about the problem and potential ways to solve it before asking me to make a decision for them.
Sounds Like: “We accidently routed the client’s application to the wrong department. This resulted in a delay in review and approval. We can expedite a new application, or we can try to redirect the existing one to the right group and get it processed. Which one should I do?”
Level 4: Here is the problem. Here are a few possible fixes. This is the solution I am planning to go with. What do you think?
Looks Like: An employee books time on my calendar. Having carefully considered the situation and possible solutions, they make a recommendation and look to me for support and validation.
Sounds Like: “We accidently sent the client’s application to the wrong department. This has delayed review and approval. I’m going to expedite a new application for approval today instead of rerouting the existing one because I believe this is the quickest way to handle things. Does that work for you?”
Level 5: I had this problem last week, and this is how I solved it. These were the other solutions I considered before I made my decision.
Looks Like: An employee debriefs me during our regularly scheduled one-on-one meeting and then goes about their day.
Sounds Like: “Last week, an application got sent to the wrong department. I expedited a new one instead of attempting to redirect the existing one because I believed that would be at least one day quicker. It was the right decision, and the client got their approval yesterday.”
The goal of applying the model for leaders is simple: Coach the members of your team to become Level 4 or 5 problem solvers.
At a minimum, get employees to Level 3. If someone comes to you with a Level 1 or 2 problem, have the discipline to send them away after requesting they come back once they get to a higher level. Help them get better at helping themselves.
While initially skeptical, I implemented the Five Levels of Problem-Solving with my team a week after speaking with my mentor. Doing so was surprisingly easy. At our next team meeting, I walked everyone through the model and set clear expectations that I would draw a firm line on Level 1 and 2 requests. I was specific in explaining why. The reason was to help them all develop better problem-solving skills and to free up my time to work with them on higher-impact activities.
Following the model quickly became a cultural norm, and team members used “level” as a common language. Employees would come into my office saying, “I could only get this one to a Level 3, so I could really use your help.” The individuals on my team became far more self-aware and developed into much better problem solvers. Many have progressed into senior roles and now leverage the problem-solving model with their own teams.
As a new manager, the model was a game-changer. Suddenly, I had many more hours in my day to focus on high-value activities that made meaningful impacts on the team and the broader organization. At the same time, I was building a team of highly capable problem solvers. I felt energized and motivated by the work I was doing and the effect I was having on the organization. And, as a bonus, I did not become the youngest manager in history to burn myself out.
01 May 2021
Category
HR News Article