Have a problem? Let me solve it.

Have a problem?  Let me solve it.

Anyone who is a parent knows that it is really easy to solve our kids’ problems for them.  Sometimes it’s faster and more convenient just to have it over with.  I’ll help you clean up, I’ll help you with your homework, I’ll help you with that argument you’re having with your sister, I’ll help you buy that thing you really, REALLY, want.  But we also know that when we solve problems for others, the end result is that those people never learn to solve their own problems or take responsibility for their own actions.  This can too easily be applied to situations that HR professionals come into contact with every day.

Someone comes into your office complaining about so-and-so did such-and-such, or my job is not what it was cracked up to be, or the sink in the community kitchen is full of dirty dishes,  AGAIN.  Amateur HR pros will take it upon themselves to hang that sign in the kitchen saying “please be courteous to others and clean up after yourself.”  Or they will schedule a meeting with the conflicting parties to “work it out.”

What if we helped these people brainstorm solutions they can implement themselves?  After all, if HR hangs that sign in the kitchen or sends an email to everyone telling them to stop acting like children, the result is the email CC phenomenon.  The message goes out to everyone and no one acts.  Instead, make a list of ideas that will force the individual to take ownership of the solution.  (Using the dirty sink example), option A:  do the dishes yourself; option B:  sit in the kitchen, watch for the offenders, and reprimand them in the act; option C: do not use the kitchen sink; option D: forget about it and worry about things you can control. 

Chances are the person with the problem will choose choice C or D, and magically, the HR pro's time is freed up to do things they have been trained to do.  In HR, as we encounter interpersonal issues, complaints, conflicts, etc., we should give consideration to helping people solve problems for themselves, rather than trying to be the small-problem solving hero.  HR can then spend more time on big initiatives that impact the business, and create an image among other business leaders that we have an important role in future success.