What else can you do . . . today?

The Solve It question “What else can I do to achieve the desired results?” is clearly an action-oriented question that is built upon our ability to See It and Own It and sets us up to Do It. So here are a few Solve It tips for turning your understanding and ownership into real problem-solving action.

1. Stay engaged. Never focus on what you can’t do; instead, look for solutions that you can do.
2. Always ask the Solve It question “What else can I do?”
3. Think differently. Remember, the same thinking that got you into a problem won’t get you out of it.
4. Create new linkages. New approaches usually involve building new relationships.
5. Take the initiative. Be the person you want to be—someone who makes things happen.
6. Step out of your comfort zone. Challenge your current assumptions and beliefs in order to break through to new levels of thinking.

Consider the following example about what happens when we continually ask the Solve It question “What else can I do?” The call centers of a large financial services company were struggling to improve. Turnover was high, “handle time” was long, and software solutions were inadequate. Targets for improvement were established, and everyone began asking the question “What else can I do?” However, when it came to bringing about real change in terms of performance improvement, the going got tougher as numerous unexpected issues and problems arose. Undaunted, everyone in the organization continued to ask “What else can I do?” as they looked for solutions. Ideas poured in from everywhere as everyone from senior management to telephone operators took accountability for reducing the time needed to handle a call.

Within a few months, they changed the way they hired people, they implemented new software solutions, they began measuring and reporting performance on a daily basis, they implemented a balanced scorecard, and they focused their training and development on high priority skills. Their Solve It mentality flourished, leading to a new set of Solve It skills. The result was a whopping $143 million per year increase in net operating income.

Accepting reality and owning circumstances will accomplish little if you fail to solve problems and remove obstacles on your road to results. Once you See It and Own It, you must Solve It by constantly asking “What else can I do to achieve the desired results?” Only then can you consistently Do It!

To learn more about asking the Solve It question “What else can I do?” and developing crucial Solve It skills, we invite you to join the Accountability Community at www.partnersinleadership.com, where you can review actual client case studies.

Sign up for one of our upcoming webinars to learn more about using the steps of accountability to achieve results.

Accountability Community, See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It are all registered trademarks of Partners In Leadership, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.