Page 79 - Becoming a Successful Manager

70 ESTABLISHING A SOLID DEPARTMENTAL FOUNDATION

in a healthy, collaborative way will keep your team moving in a
positive direction while each member juggles all these day-to-day
challenges.
You have the power to create either a problem-solving culture
or a toxic culture. The way you tackle problems and interact with
others sets the tone for your employees, telling them what kind of
person you are, what type of departmental culture you want to
cultivate, and what you expect of them in similar situations.
A problem-solving culture is based on productive resolution
and respect. Conversely, a toxic culture is a fear-based environ-
ment where people are more concerned about protecting them-
selves than solving problems.
In this chapter, we provide a framework for assessing, articu-
lating, and resolving problems in a problem-solving manner. We
contrast that with what one might experience within a toxic culture.
Understanding these dynamics and how they occur in these very
different cultures will provide a useful frame of reference as you
seek to build your own problem-solving culture.

What Is a Problem?

A problem is a perceived divergence between a reasonable want,
need, or expectation and what has happened or is happening.
Since the perception belongs to the person with the problem, the
problem belongs to that person as well. To prove the practical
validity of this explanation, recall two or three major problems
you have encountered recently at work. Concerning each problem,
answer the following two questions: What made it a problem?
What did you want or need that you lacked? Almost always, your
answer to both questions will be essentially the same. The rea-
son it was a problem was because you were not getting what you
needed, wanted, or expected.