Short Version:

"What should I do?"

If you run a company or a team,, train your people to never say it again at work.

Instead, have them replace it with “I’m not sure what to do, here’s what I think we should do, can you validate my solution?”

Long Version:

At work, we solve problems. Companies that identify and solve problems faster than their competitors grow faster. That’s basically it…you can give me the money you were going to spend on an MBA. The rest, to paraphrase Will Hunting, ya can learn for a dollah fifty in late cha-hges at the public lib’ry.

The trick…is learning how to learn faster.

But here’s the problem…we have been taught that the most important thing is the grade…the A+, the gold star, the smiley face at the top of the homework assignment, the 4.5 on the 5-point scale in the performance review.

So when most people get pushed into a problem-solving corner and don’t know what to do, they put accountability for the solution on someone else because they don’t want to fuck up. They want that good grade. They want that gold star. They want to pay their mortgage. It makes sense!

But...while "not fucking up" is pretty good motivation for people who don't want to get fired...people who want to get ahead need to learn how to grow problem solving muscles faster than their peers and competitors. These are the people we want working at small companies trying to do big things.

So the next time you see someone on your team getting pushed into that corner (asking you or a co-worker "What should I do here?"), instead urge them to seek validation for a solution they craft using the best information they have access to at the time.

These folks will notice, over time, that their brain gets rewired to push through problems and solve them more independently (and faster) than if they reflexively punted that problem-solving to someone else.

The Bottom Line:

You are not smarter than the people on your team (if you are good at hiring). And a big part of your job as a leader and manager (if you like money and success) is to help your people learn faster. 

People who start and run their own companies learn how to do this organically (albeit painfully) because there is simply no one around to give answers (a terrifying and rewarding experience everyone should try at least once in their life if they are privileged and lucky enough to do so.)

If you do run your own company (or run a team), trying this can be a powerful tool for your people to learn.

Give it a try and feel free to let me know how it goes. And if you're looking for a good way to present your problem and a good solution, try this.