Why You Should Stop Solving A Problem?

Q: What's the most counter-intuitive thing you know?

A: Every problem doesn't need a solution.

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Coming from a tech background, my brain has been hardwired to start solutionizing as soon as it encounters a problem.

My idea of a "servant leader" when I began supervising a team was to just solve their problems proactively.

Ever so often, my reports would come up to me & describe what they were facing. I'd cut them short & concoct practical, mechanized steps to overcome their challenge.

Sadly, I didn't realize that people are complex beings.

Sometimes, they don't just want an immediate solution.

Sometimes, they just want to be heard.

They want you to listen, to empathize, to comfort them, to see the world through their lens.

Thus, as a manager, I had to become better at judging whether a team member needs tactical advice or whether they just need to vent out.

For the latter, I needed to learn to how to lend my ears & be a sounding board.

Trust me, both are equally valid reasons. One pertains to management/mentorship, while the other relates to mental health at the workplace.

Sometimes the problem isn't a practical roadblock. It's the feelings beneath it.

In such cases, the best thing you can do for someone is nod in silence.