It’s surprising to me how often people look to others to solve their problems. And I don’t mean look to others for advice or for learning. I mean look to others to actually get in there and do the work required to solve the specific problem. Whether it’s organizations that hire multiple companies to determine what the problems are and then implement solutions, or leaders and managers who ‘delegate’ problem-solving ‘work’ to others, it’s always surprising to me. I know that many people aren’t confident in their own ability to solve problem and, therefore, delegate to others who seem to be ‘experts’. However, when this happens there are many missed opportunities: opportunities for organizations and leaders to more deeply understand their customers’ needs, and their own current states, and opportunities to develop their own creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It’s easy to think others have better answers than we do and that ‘delegating’ will free up our time for other things. If we do that though, we won’t gain the confidence in our own abilities, because confidence – and competence – only come from doing!
