There are no generalized solutions
For the first third of Anchor Advisors’ history, we offered management consulting. We helped founders create the systems and processes that enabled their firms to grow.
We worked with over 300 businesses and found 10(ish) problems we solved over and over again. It didn’t take long to develop strong playbooks for solving those problems. I had checklists and spreadsheets that, with minor modifications, would significantly improve the operations of almost any company we engaged with.
So I thought, why not just sell the playbooks, checklists, and spreadsheets? We could serve more businesses if we didn’t need to be the ones holding everyone’s hand – the answer was right there in the PDF!
No one bought the “standard” solution.
No one believed that their problem fit the template. Everyone had some reason why their problem was “special”.
Whether their problem really was “special” didn’t matter. It was special to them.
When I look at my own problems, I always see the myriad ways they are special, unique, and one-of-a-kind. That “specialness” justifies why I haven’t solved them yet!
But when I look at other people’s problems, whether that’s my son, my team member, client, or neighbor, I can clearly see that this problem has a straightforward, high-confidence solution.
When someone tries to solve my problem with a standardized solution that they’ve used, I bristle. But somehow I think other people will react differently.
Companies don’t change; individuals do
When I approach each person as special and unique, I have to put aside my judgments, listen objectively, and see the world through their eyes. That takes time, which frustrates me because I already have the answer!
What I eventually learned is that listening to their unique story takes far less time than wrestling with someone who doesn’t want to hear my standard solution to their unique problem. I have to earn the right to have an opinion by listening first.
Clearly, we don’t need a customized payroll solution for each person; some things need to be routine, and folks can adjust. But when we’re leading through change and uncertainty, building a culture that takes time to listen makes your business more agile and responsive.
Where are you treating a group of people with a generic solution? Do company policies minimize or ignore people’s legitimate needs? Are there processes you put clients through that treat them generically, instead of recognizing what’s different about them?
Where is pushing a standard solution getting in the way of the change and growth you are championing? Hit reply, and tell me about it! (I won’t respond with a generic PDF, I promise.)
