First identify business problems with poor leadership, weak strategy selection, superficial planning, business management issues and lack of organisation to solve them.
Identifying these as problems may not be as easy as first thought because the problems may be masked by events or external factors or most insidiously “this is how it has always been”. These problems have nothing to do with personality and everything to do with judgment and execution. The final arbiter should be results.
Some of the factors which indicates the business plan failure and is a great problem in todays business are:-
- Gather insufficient external and internal information for strategy and planning
- Wrong people involved in setting strategies and direction
- Lack of depth of thinking to generate good strategies and plan.
Defining business problem
Rephrase the Problem.
When an executive asked employees to brainstorm “ways to increase their productivity”, all he got back were blank stares. When he rephrased his request as “ways to make their jobs easier”, he could barely keep up with the amount of suggestions. Words carry strong implicit meaning and, as such, play a major role in how we perceive a problem. In the example above, ‘be productive’ might seem like a sacrifice you’re doing for the company, while ‘make your job easier’ may be more like something you’re doing for your own benefit, but from which the company also benefits. In the end, the problem is still the same, but the feelings — and the points of view — associated with each of them are vastly different.
Expose and Challenge Assumptions.
Every problem — no matter how apparently simple it may be — comes with a long list of assumptions attached. Many of these assumptions may be inaccurate and could make your problem statement inadequate or even misguided.
Chunk Up.
Each problem is a small piece of a greater problem. In the same way that you can explore a problem laterally — such as by playing with words or challenging assumptions — you can also explore it at different “altitudes”.
Find Multiple Perspectives.
Before rushing to solve a problem, always make sure you look at it from different perspectives. Looking at it with different eyes is a great way to have instant insight on new, overlooked directions.
Use Effective Language Constructs.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for properly crafting the perfect problem statement, but there are some language constructs that always help making it more effective:
Make It Engaging.
In addition to using effective language constructs, it’s important to come up with a problem statement that truly excites you so you’re in the best frame of mind for creatively tackling the problem. If the problem looks too dull for you, invest the time adding vigor to it while still keeping it genuine. Make it enticing. Your brain will thank (and reward) you later.
Reverse the Problem.
One trick that usually helps when you’re stuck with a problem is turning it on its head. If you want to win, find out what would make you lose. If you are struggling finding ways to ‘increase sales’, find ways to decrease them instead. Then, all you need to do is reverse your answers.
Gather Facts.
Investigate causes and circumstances of the problem. Probe details about it — such as its origins and causes. Especially if you have a problem that’s too vague, investigating facts is usually more productive than trying to solve it right away.
Organisation - Policies
Business must comply with all applicable laws including company, health and safety, employment, taxation and have appropriate company policies. Key problems are likely to be no policies and/or contracts for:
- Balance score card
- Strategy Maps with balance score cards
- Swot analysis
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Staff, contractors or temporary staff
Other Reasons for Business Problems
The reasons for business problems are not simply restricted to the above list of internal items but also extend to external factors such as:
- Natural disaster
- Significant economic downturn
- Bigger, better or faster competitors
- New business entrant changing the rules of the game
- Products or services becoming obsolete
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