Why it’s bad to problem-solve everything

Share This Post

Fosca Fimiani

Fosca is a fully remote worker who loves to travel. She has a diverse background - a former physicist, a part-part-time violinist and an event organizer. For nearly six years, Fosca has been working as a web analyst, and for the past three years, she's also been also a people leader. 

Biggest fuck up?

During my work experience, I distinctly remember almost making a grave mistake. I was on the verge of deleting years’ worth of critical data without properly understanding the implications of my actions. Thankfully, we managed to reverse the process and restore everything.

The incident left me feeling disoriented and concerned about breaking the trust my boss had placed in me. Despite the initial panic, I remained determined to find a solution and rectify the problem. Fortunately, we succeeded in doing so.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson in being more cautious and attentive to the potential consequences of my actions.

I learned the importance of thoroughly checking and verifying tasks before proceeding, and I now make a point of conducting trial runs in non-critical systems, such as a developer environment, to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Rant

Lack of ethics.

In my industry, it seems that some individuals are always seeking ways to achieve their goals without considering ethical implications. I am referring to advertising practices and GDPR policies.

Clients often inquire about ways to circumvent the issues instead of prioritising compliance and what is right.

This aspect of the industry troubles me, and I sincerely hope that in the future, there will be a greater focus on understanding and meeting the wants and needs of users rather than solely focusing on our own interests and exploiting their data.

Useful advice

Avoid trying to “problem solve everything,” especially if you are a people leader.

Allow individuals to find their own solutions, even if they differ from yours. Encouraging autonomy and independent thinking is crucial for growth and development. So, refrain from imposing your solutions on people, as this can hinder their ability to work independently.

When someone seeks your advice or assistance in solving a problem, try to provide open-ended questions and responses. Encourage them to think critically and explore different angles by asking a series of 5W+H questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How). By doing so, you empower individuals to think for themselves and foster a culture of self-reliance and problem-solving skills. Remember, it’s not about appearing smart; it’s about empowering others to develop their capabilities.

And actually, this last piece of advice is what I’m still trying to do myself, and I find it quite difficult to achieve sometimes!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

Interview with the MD of Tao Digital Marketing

This weeks interviewee is Matt Tomkin, founder, and MD of Tao Digital...

Breaking free from a lack of ambition

Five years have been lost due to not having high enough targets or realising what could be achieved.

Interview with the Chairman of Systemagic

This week's interviewee is Martin Spiller Chairman of Systemagic (providing...

A death-threat-inducing fuck up, and adlands obsession with ‘why’

Biggest fuck up? Over the last 15 years, there’s been...

I’m a materialistic, ambitious, status-craving idiot

We don’t think about this stuff because it’s bloody scary. It’s hard. It’s embarrassing. It’s a bit hippy, it makes us feel vulnerable.

Pigeonholed

Getting stuck in a career you're not that into, for nearly two decades.
Previous article
Next article