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If you want to improve your performance on the job, then you should turn your attention to solving little problems. These are often lingering issues that while not earth shattering, are like a leaky faucet in their ongoing disruption.
Often, these are pushed aside by more urgent needs. They stay in the background, on the bottom of your to-do list.
When you’re not focused on solving little problems, they continue to exist. They can include things like equipment that breaks a lot, needing to improve an old training process, or determining a winner in an ongoing disagreement between two departments.
Whatever it is, ignoring the problems won’t make them go away. And the time spent dealing with these issues continues to grow, like compound interest.
Use these tips to address your little problems and give them an expiration date:
Make a List
In the moment, you may recognize a problem but then forget about it, when a more urgent issue emerges. Start to write down your little problems on a list. This way you acknowledge their existence, which makes it harder to ignore.
Also, if several people in an organization make their own little problem lists, then you can share and compare the results. This may reveal larger issues or suggest a more urgent response.
Pick a Day
Now you want to pick a day when you will address all of the little problems on your list. Your job is to solve as many of them as possible.
Some will pick a slow day or a slower time of day for this purpose. Put this item on your calendar, so you’ll make sure you commit to it. Others will schedule these sessions quarterly, so the number of little problems, needing to be addressed, are not overwhelming.
While none of your issues require a huge investment of time, they do need some attention. Not giving them any, allows the problem to continue.
Solving Little Problems with Followup
After some time, evaluate if your solution has fixed the problem or if it needs further adjustment. Most things will work out fine but you don’t want any to be like a weed that wasn’t fully pulled out of the ground.
Also, you can take a moment to congratulate yourself on solving an issue and freeing up more time to focus on your big picture goals.
Ken Okel Performs Virtual Keynotes Too
