Figuring It Out
Mark Haner
Director, North American Sales @ LinkedIn | Driving growth, culture, and value
Throughout many of my earlier career roles, I often found myself in situations where I wanted a bit of extra guidance from my manager. Some managers were great about giving answers in the form of “here’s what you should do” which made my life really easy. Other managers, however, more commonly pushed back and challenged me to find solutions independently, which made things harder. But those leaders that made things hard for me unlocked the most professional growth for me. They were advocates of the servant leadership model. While this method can occasionally be challenging and even slightly frustrating, its true purpose is to foster our personal growth and autonomy.?
Servant leadership emphasizes prioritizing the personal and professional well-being of the team members, fostering an environment where individuals can truly be themselves and excel. This philosophy extends beyond the pursuit of immediate organizational goals, positing that a team that is nurtured and valued will inherently contribute to a stronger, more successful company. This is achieved through the collective efforts, insights, and unwavering commitment of each team member and when servant leadership is executed effectively, it cultivates an atmosphere of trust, accountability, and a sense of belonging—essential components that contribute to a positive and dynamic workplace culture. ?
So back to that frustration when we ask our boss what to do and they essentially tell us to figure it out… ?
Steve Jobs famously said, "It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do." ?To a degree, Steve was talking about a servant leadership style of helping organizations win. By compelling us to engage in thoughtful deliberation and take ownership of our decisions, we are empowered to dissect complex decisions into more manageable parts, thereby keeping our focus and alignment with the overarching goals of the organization. One highly effective way to do this is the 1-3-1 rule.?
The 1-3-1 rule not only simplifies the decision-making process but also instills a culture of shared responsibility and strategic foresight within our team. It's a testament to the strength of servant leadership and its ability to enhance both individual and collective performance in the workplace. So, what is the 1-3-1 Rule??
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Step 1 – Identify the 1 problem?
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Now we can combine the above into our problem statement: 1) This is the need, 2) and it’s an important one to serve because of XYZ, 3) which matters because of our efforts to accomplish ABC as a company.?
Step 2 – Find 3 viable solutions to the 1 problem named above?
Step 3 – Create 1 recommendation?
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When used, the 1-3-1 Rule gives us something to go to our leaders with that deepens trust, reliability, and influence. It’s also an amazing tool that helps us manage up and across, especially as we become more senior in our organizations. ?Rather than asking “What should we do about [insert pain-point]?” or “here’s a problem, what do we do?” We can go to our peers/boss/leader and say something like “We have XYZ problem, and I have identified these 3 options with the help of the team [insert options] and my recommendation is that we continue with [insert recommendation]. What do you think?” ?
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If you have other methods for leveling up how you are identifying and solving problems, share those in the comments!?
Strategic SaaS HR Leader | Building Engaged & Successful Teams
8 个月Great reminders!