Even though your boss has to take accountability for the end result, a good leader doesn’t want to research solutions to problems by themselves. Do your boss a favour and come up with solutions to the problem yourself. If you’re an employee, employ the 1-3-1 rule (or ask your employees to use the method if you’re their boss).
The first 1 is identifying the problem. There should be a clearly defined goal or result. Usually, in being precise and articulate in your problem statement, the problem solves itself as you get the ‘Aha’-moment after a clear problem definition. There should only be a single problem defined here. If the problem consists of multiple problems, split them up into individual 1-3-1 solutions.
The 3 is about coming up with three possible solutions to the problem. For most problems, you either have 0 or 1 (but insufficient) solution in your head. The amount of three solutions forces you to think creatively and out-of-the-box. You can opt to deploy various resources here. Don’t get limited too much by what-ifs or what you think is a constraint (unless absolutely ridiculous, but even then there often is a hint to the real solution in the absurd solution).
The last 1 is your own recommendation if you were to be in your bosses’ shoes. Which of the three solutions would you try first? It is in this step that you take into account the risks of the proposed solution, the availability of the needed resources and the feasibility and impact of the solution.
The beauty of this method is twofold. The benefit in plain sight is that you come up with a detailed description of the problem, potential solutions and even a proposed recommendation from your point of view. This saves a lot of time for the decision maker who can quickly insert his own knowledge of the situation and agree with the proposed solution or can slightly alter it to make it fit.
The hidden benefit of this method is that some problems will never even reach the level of the decision maker, as you can solve the problem on your own in one of the three stages. Sometimes a problem definition is enough to bring the solution to light. Sometimes a brainstorm will fix a lack of problem solving inspiration. Other times you will have to go all the way through to the ‘What would I do in their shoes?’ question to realise that there is clearly only one way to go through the dilemma and you can take that decision for them.
As an employee, you show proactiveness and become a valued member of the team. You do not only come with problems, but also with solutions and quick fixes. This habit will get noticed over time and increase your chances of being promoted or otherwise rewarded for your work. Work is often not just the work that you do, but also the way you do it and interact with team members.
Leaders can also benefit from this rule. They should employ a strategy like this to give more ownership to employees and to spare them precious time. By rejecting their questions at the first sight, you allow them to dive deeper in the problem themselves first. This often solves the problem before it gets to you. The problems that do get to your office are in many cases a simple ‘Yes, do this’ or ‘No, change this first’ decision. There is less need to be involved in the brainstorming sessions that precede the decision.
Not all problems can be delegated to employees. Still, if you can cover 90% of cases with this method, you save your time for the remaining 10% in which you do have to be involved. You can even spend double the time on these cases and still have time left over compared to being involved in every research and decision process yourself.