When Unsolved Problems Lead To Even Bigger Problems

Business experts and management pundits are quick to offer a step-by-step process for identifying the root cause of a business problem and fixing it.  The gurus at Harvard Business Review offer these clear steps:

1. Identify the “What” and the “Why” of the problem.

2. Gather evidence.  Don’t jump to conclusions.

3. Seek multiple perspectives to eliminate any possibility of confirmation bias.

4. Drill down to the root cause, considering all the possibilities (internal and external).

5. Seek outside advice / mentoring from sources (who don’t have a horse in the race) on how best to solve the problem.

6. Prioritize the issues.  Validate if it is the root cause.

7. Lay out a plan of action for fixing the problem.

8. Implement the plan, adjusting as needed based on feedback and unforeseen and unintended issues that crop up.

Stop Symptom-Chasing

Every business faces problems, challenges and glitches at one time or another.  No sooner is one issue solved than another pops up like a game of whack-a-mole.  Drawing from research by business schools and think tanks, here are some of the most common problems businesses face.  They can be grouped into three main areas:

The Curiousness of Curiosity

In looking at the multi-faceted concept of Emotional Intelligence for the last two months, we’ve been considering how it impacts professional success and influences behavior.  Our Emotional Quotient is based on our ability to handle our emotions; reactions, responses, interactions, connections and behaviors with others.  In large part, our Emotional Intelligence is what governs what we feel, say and do. That’s because human behavior is subconsciously driven by our emotions much more than by intelligence, knowledge, logic or reason. 

Motivation: What Pushes You

For the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at the multi-faceted concept of Emotional Intelligence.  While we use IQ to define a person’s cognitive ability, we look at EQ to measure their emotional ability… reactions, responses, interactions, connections and behaviors with others.  It is in the murky and misconstrued facets of Emotional Intelligence that we find the real triggers for what people feel, say and do.  While some might not be willing to admit or accept, it is safe to say that human behavior is far more driven by emotion than it is by logical, rational thought.

Increasing the Least Liked Aspect of EI:  Self-Control

Emotional intelligence (EI) is an increasingly important competence because it helps us respond to life’s challenges and interact with others in a way that can improve our home and work environments. EI is a key component of compassion and understanding, and it helps us know and understand how others feel, communicate, and be self and socially aware.  This is the repository of skills and abilities that help us identify, understand and manage our own emotions and identify and empathize with the emotions of others.

Why Social Skills are Increasingly Important in the Age of AI

‘Social skills’ is one of those fluff terms that is often secretly viewed as unnecessary for leadership or success.  There are certainly examples of business leaders who were wildly successful and had limited social skills.  Case in point:  Steve Jobs.  An assessment of Steve Jobs’ personality traits includes innovative, determined, independent, bold, creative, dominant, charismatic, passionate, non-traditional, confident, ambitious, rebellious, bossy, aggressive, perfectionist, detailed, intelligent, revolutionary, open, conscientious, daring, perseverant, energetic, enterprising, and self-motivated.  Many of these traits – such as confident, bold, conscientious and perseverant — are positive and contribute to what made him a business genius and huge success as founder of Apple, NEXT and Pixar.  But some of his other traits – such as bossy, aggressive, rebellious, and dominant – also made him a very difficult to work with and for.  Jobs needed to be in charge and had a reputation of being a tyrannical micromanager. He was strong, forthright, determined, and able to influence others, but he moved very quickly and very rarely delegated jobs to others. 

How Empathy is a Leadership Superpower

Understanding and responding to human emotions is key in business.  It’s essential for building trust, fostering collaboration, and navigating complex interpersonal dynamics.  Leaders with High EI can inspire and motivate their teams. They can effectively communicate, resolve conflict constructively, and create a positive work environment.  They can also build stronger relationships with customers and employees alike.  In turn, employees who can understand and build a rapport with their customers and actually share in their feelings can connect in a way that fosters higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Self-Awareness:  The Bedrock of All EI Skills

In today’s AI-emerging business world, EI is sure to become more valuable than IQ.  This is because AI can’t replicate human emotions.  AI excels at processing information, but it lacks the ability to understand and respond to human emotions.  But understanding and responding to human emotions is key in business.  It is essential to build trust, foster collaboration, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.  Emotionally intelligent leaders inspire and motivate their teams. They can effectively communicate, resolve conflict constructively, and create a positive work environment – all crucial for success in the modern workplace.  It also helps build stronger relationships with customers and employees alike.  Customers can connect with brands on an emotional level and employees are able to understand customer needs, build rapport, and provide exceptional service, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, technical skills and a high IQ are no longer the sole guarantees of success.  Artificial intelligence (AI) is swiftly surpassing human capabilities in areas like data analysis and complex calculations. This begs the question: what sets humans apart in the age of AI?  The answer lies in a different kind of intelligence – Emotional Intelligence (EI).

The lifeblood of any business lies in its ability to attract and retain customers.  This is not only how it stays alive, but how it grows.  But how to do this best — the ideal path to achieving this goal — is a subject of ongoing debate. Two distinct schools of thought emerge. 

Camp One champions the supremacy of product excellence.  What did the companies that added over $100 billion in value in the last decade have in common? They didn’t advertise to get big.  They just kept improving their product / service.  The idea is that if you build an amazing product or service, you won’t need to advertise.  The argument is made by pointing at brands like Google, OpenAI, and Netflix.  They built a great product and disrupted the world.