We’ve often heard people describe effective managers as ‘problem solvers’. A typical day at the office may be littered with little problems, which leads to the feeling of ‘fire-fighting’. A manager may take quick and decisive action, only for a related issue to rear its head shortly afterwards.

The problem is, the problem is not always the problem! The term itself is a negative one, and can often misdirect the manager in trying to find a direct solution. Try to see a ‘problem’ as a piece of information which is trying to tell you why something is differing from the norm. Thereby, one needs to remember the cause and effect principle; what has changed or happened to cause this new development?

Every issue has a reason behind it, and often exploration of the foundation, or indeed the ‘roots’, can highlight a completely different area that requires your attention. Some of the benefits of management training are that a wide variety of analytical skills and techniques can be covered to help you.

In summary, the best method of solving ‘problems’ is to take a step back, and consider why something might be happening, and what it’s root cause may be. Become a manager that is great at ‘cause analysis’ not just a problem solver.