Influence & Impact for Leaders Ep 159 – When Being the Problem Solver Becomes a Problem
Apr 8, 2024
A discussion about how always solving others' problems can steal time, stall career growth, and block strategic work. Stories illustrate when helpfulness becomes harmful and why becoming irreplaceable hurts promotion. Practical barriers to team problem-solving are explored, like authority, knowledge, information, autonomy, culture, and habit. A simple coaching question for retraining teams is introduced.
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Problem Solving Steals Strategic Capacity
- Constantly solving others' problems steals your time for strategic work and causes stress and longer hours.
- Carla Miller describes clients who lose focus time and can't build senior relationships because they firefight daily.
Being Irreplaceable Harms Promotion Prospects
- Being the go-to problem solver can make you irreplaceable and block promotion because leaders see you as operational rather than strategic.
- Carla Miller warns this also creates guilt about leaving since teams may not function without you.
Map Problems To Prevent Recurring Fires
- Analyze which problems your team brings you and map common themes so you can prevent fires rather than just firefight.
- Carla Miller recommends shifting from answering ad-hoc queries to solving root causes with processes and conversations.