Develop your solution-orientation

- How you show up when you're with your team matters more than you realize. Solution orientation is a critical skill that encourages everyone in the team to work together towards finding solutions rather than just pointing out problems. Here are three tips to cultivate your solution orientation. Language reframing. This is a technique that involves changing the way that we talk about a problem to make it more amenable to solutions. For example, reframe problem to opportunity. Let's say your company is facing financial difficulties. Rather than saying, "We are in financial trouble and don't know what to do," you could say, "We see this as an opportunity to reevaluate our business model and find new ways to increase revenue and cut costs, improving our financial health in the long run." This way, you're more open-minded to creative solutions and can emerge from the situation even stronger than before. Another example is reframing failure to learning experience. Let's say you perform poorly in a client pitch. Rather than saying, "I can't believe this happened. I failed," reframe to, "I see this as a learning experience. I'll prepare better and get feedback so I do better with the next pitch." This way, you're more proactive, rather than feeling defeated. These simple shifts in language can have a profound effect on how we approach the problem, encouraging us to think more positively and creatively. Collective curiosity. A true solution orientation requires you to ask curious questions to the root of the issue and to think more creatively. By asking how questions, teams can begin to explore different approaches and creative solutions. For example, if a team is struggling with sticking to budget, they might ask questions like, how can we reduce costs without sacrificing quality? Or how can we use existing resources more efficiently? Offer solutions. Rather than just complaining about a problem or a task, brainstorm at least three potential solutions along with pros and cons. This not only helps you develop a skill called cognitive flexibility, it also helps the team move forward faster and makes it easier to identify what solution's going to work best. By incorporating solution orientation into your day-to-day thinking, you can become an invaluable asset to any team. Not only will you be able to identify problems and offer solutions, but you'll also encourage the team to work together towards finding the best solution. This can help create a more collaborative environment that leads to better results. You'll find reflection questions and a summary in the exercise files, along with space to make your own commitments.