Leaders encounter a lot of problems when running a business, some of which are small, one-time problems, while others are recurring and hurting the business. Unfortunately, not all business problems can be solved right away… sometimes, your executive team can be stuck trying to find a solution for said problems. This is where you need a different approach in organizational goal setting to help your executive team get un-stuck.

The Failed Unilateral Approach

Effective leadership is always the key in getting teams unstuck. However, most leaders are too wound up in using the unilateral approach, which might work for some cases but it just can’t be relied upon as a long-term strategy.

According to Roger Schwarz, author of Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams, the unilateral approach is when the leader makes the decisions, while others- even the powerful executives who run the company, have to obey. The problem with this approach is the leader’s behavior and assumptions are not conducive for teamwork. A leader can’t just assume that what he declares will be beneficial, much less gladly accepted by everyone in his team.

The unilateral approach, while it doesn’t encourage much upfront discussion, strains relations between the leader and the executive team.

Schwarz also relays that the best and effective leaders veer away from this unilateral approach, and take the mutual learning approach. In contrast, this mindset encourages informed choice, compassion, transparency and accountability among executives and other team members.

Leaders who practice the mutual learning approach recognize that members of his executive team also have valuable information, and that differences in opinion and strategies can be seen as opportunities for learning.

Asking the Right Questions—The Key to Organizational Goal Setting and Mutual Learning 

Luckily, leaders can help their executive team to get un-stuck and make decisions by asking them these questions.

1.     What is Happening Around You?

Be mindful of the details in the organization and business, including different departments and competitors. This would help executives shift their focus to what’s happening around them, namely the market and competitors, thereby allowing them to look at the problem on hand in a new angle.

2.     What Does it Mean?

This question will force your team to analyze the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the problem, so they could get to the bottom of the issue by slowly connecting the seemingly unrelated details surrounding it.

Using the SCAMPER Technique

If you still find your organization stuck, use the SCAMPER technique developed by Robert Eberle.

SCAMPER stands for

• Substitute
• Combine/Change
• Adapt to the circumstances
• Modify, Magnify or Minimize
• Put the idea to other uses
• Eliminate
• Reverse

This technique will work if you’re trying to solve a problem, come up with a workable solution or re-draw the company’s organizational goal setting plan. It forces everyone in your team to look at things from a different perspective, be it through substitution, combining, adapting and other means.