How to employ a staff of great problem solvers

If you want your company to succeed, you’ll need your employees to be the best they can be. One of the most important qualities your employees can have is the ability to solve problems on their own. When an employee is able to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions on their own, it keeps things running smoothly and maximizes productivity. Here are a few ways you can make your employees great problem solvers.

Look for creative candidates: It all starts with hiring. If you’re not hiring the right kinds of employees, you’ll be stuck with a staff that can’t take the heat when they enter the kitchen. Seek to employee those people whose brains work a little differently. Instead of the same old questions, challenge your job candidates during their interview and see if they have the ability to come up with creative solutions on the fly.

Encourage them to take ownership: Employees may make decisions based on what they think their boss would want done in a particular situation. Encourage your employees to problem solve from the boss’s shoes. If they were in charge, what would they do? What’s the best solution for all parties involved? What are the pros and cons? Examine the situation and decide on the best course of action based on a review of all possible outcomes.

Give them your trust: Give your employees the freedom to truly make choices. If they feel that you’re always looking in on them, they won’t feel the confidence they need to succeed on their own. Once the job is done, give constructive feedback and praise creative solutions. When your employees know that you believe in them, they’ll believe even more in themselves.