When our employees come to us for help, our immediate reaction is to offer a quick solution to fix the problem. Often times we assume that offering the solution will help our employees and allow them to move on, but in reality, it only hinders them further. Instead, the next time you are approached by one of your troubled employees, think about the problem and how it can be solved. But don’t offer the solution to them just yet – offer advice and support to help them reach the answer on their own. By helping them reach the solution themselves, you’re improving their critical thinking skills and helping them develop their own key strategies for the future.
As the Chinese Proverb says “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”