How to Raise Issues Appropriately

2. We say, 'Don't come to me with a problem unless you also come with a solution.' That's a tremendous amount of pressure to place on someone who hasn't been taught how to access resources or who hasn't been given the authority.

On the flip side, there are those people who complain often about the most trivial of issues ('She left her stapler on my side of the desk again!') and this may be a good way to encourage people to work these things out for themselves.

But, how do we strike a balance between those who complain at the drop of a hat and those who have valid concerns?  Teach them how to raise an issue with a structured de-brief process by asking:

• Step 1: What circumstances did you face?
• Step 2: What actions did you take?
• Step 3: What results did you get?
• Step 4: What lesson did you learn (if any)?

You can also use this model to facilitate problem-solving for the future:

• Step 1: What circumstances could you face in the future?
• Step 2: What actions would you take?
• Step 3: What results would you get?
• Step 4: What lesson would you learn (if any)?

The Benefits?

• You, as manager, get more information so you can do your job better
• You develop your employees to learn how to think through problems, analyze their actions, propose solutions, and learn from mistakes
• You encourage communication

Bonus Tip: Ask employees to rate their concern on a scale of 1 to 10, so you have a better idea how important their concern is...to them! After you walk them through the debrief process (above), ask them to rank their concern again on a scale from 1 to 10. It'll be interesting to see if they change their perspective!