Do you have the right approach to solving problems? In this Expert Insight interview hosted by John Golden, Kevin Popovic discusses how to make these hard times into a positive experience in the long run.
This interview discusses:
- Problem Solving
- Changes Enforcement
Problem Solving
The pandemic that is happening now brings problems that we did not have before, thus we must approach the problems differently. The solutions we had before might not be beneficial in this situation. The biggest challenge businesses and people in general have is to make sure that the right problem is addressed. The problem cannot be solved until we identify what the actual problem is. The first thing to do is to create a problem statement using words that will help everyone involved to go in the right direction. That statement is based on what the problem really is, who is involved in the problem and what needs to change from the day it is today. Some sort of KPI such as number, percentage, or time frame is beneficial, and it serves as our North Star – a clear direction. Once the problem statement is clear, then we should start the design thinking process. The keys to design thinking are empathy and define. Empathy is developing an emotional understanding of people involved. To reach understanding we must go through a couple of stages: research, observation, engagement with people, and ethnography. Each level gives us greater understanding. The next step is to define, in which we reframe the problem statement. In 99 out of 100 times the problem statement changes because we became part of the problem and we see it differently. Basically, doing the due diligence and following the protocol makes the whole problem solving more purposeful and more productive.
Enforce Changes
Our business might need to be adjusted as well. We have to recheck our target audience and its needs, current markets, and to look for newer markets to enter. It is important to make sure that our customer segment and value proposition match. People sometimes overestimate their business uniqueness and do not understand that macro issues are the same for everybody. Now is the perfect time to enforce changes in our business. People have so much free time that they can focus better and be more productive in bringing changes. The uncertain times represent the great opportunity for those who are willing to innovate. If we look back in the past troubling times, many millionaires and billionaires came out of the depression era and many innovation products came out post World War 2. The point is that troubling times are the best times to become creative, to show leadership, and to reshape the culture.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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