Bring your boss problems, not solutions
Or else, your organisations will become dysfunctional
A commonly heard piece of business advise is “don’t bring your boss problems without a solution.”
Here’s Jason Lemkin, a tremendously smart man whom I otherwise agree with and learn a great deal from (and you should too if you’re in SaaS):
The advise is correct for small problems, but devastatingly wrong and dangerous when it comes to big problems.
Small problems have easy solutions. Big problems don’t.
If you follow the advise and don’t report a big problem that’s on your plate until you have a solution, it may be too late.
If employees are afraid to call out what’s wrong because they have no easy answer, they will systematically underreport the big problems.
Here’s a fantastic example from the acclaimed TV show “Chernobyl”:
The protagonist Legasov is a nuclear scientist who investigates a reactor disturbance at a nuclear power plant after an incident.
Legasov suspects the problem is far worse than everyone thinks - a meltdown of the reactor, which would put millions of lives at risk.
The Soviet politicians don’t want to look bad in front of the public, and are keen to believe the “everything is under control” story.
In a meeting with the Soviet president Mikhail Gorbatchev, Legasov stands up and shouts “No!” We have to face this problem.
Legasov ultimately succeeds in his mission to contain the risk of the reactor meltdown, but at great cost to himself.
A system that systematically underreports big problems relies on individual heroes like Legasov that stand up while risking their lives.
The problem is: at some point, there are no more heroes left.
Only Yes-Men.
That’s why you need to bring the big problem to your boss’ attention. What is her job if it’s not solving the big problems?
The CEO should probably start every meeting with the question: “What are our biggest problems?”
As a leader, you need to build a culture that makes people feel safe to bring big problems to the table.
The ones with no easy solution.