Innovative Problem Solving Trump’s Immediate, Reactionary Solutions

Short-term actions can leave businesses dealing with the same problem over and over again.  In order to achieve long-term results, a true process of innovation should be developed and used consistently.  

PROBLEM SOLVING

Individuals within an organization can often feel pressure to achieve results.  If teams aren’t performing tasks at, or above expected levels, managers and supervisors absorb the deficiency.  

The stress and pressure that is felt to act immediately can lead to short term actions that solve the issue for the time being, only to have it occur again the following day, week, or month.   

Overhead doesn’t fluctuate based on individual performance and there are a plethora of factors that affect the bottom line; some controllable, others not.  Regardless of the reasons, the manager must generate solutions that will ensure progress and profitability. 

FACT FIND TO PROBLEM DEFINE

Providing a short-term solution is the easy way out.  Decisions are made to maintain the perception that actions are being taken to address a fuzzy situation but long-term gains are never achieved because the real problem was never uncovered or addressed.  There needs to be fact finding to achieve proper problem definition.  Without uncovering the real issue individuals will be left making the same mistakes over and over again.  

To achieve sustained growth in an organization, creativity must be seen as a problem-solving process.  With an established process that is followed consistently, without short cuts or reactive action, long-term gains are attained.

CLICK HERE for a podcast from Basadur Innovation Talks, as told by Min Basadur, for a story that shows how just cutting expenses may not provide sustained growth to an organization long-term, like true innovation can.