As leaders, it’s likely that you’ve often heard the word “can’t.” For example, “I can’t meet my membership sales goal for this month,” or “I can’t find a quality Group X instructor to lead this class.”
Oftentimes, the term “can’t” doesn’t accurately reflect someone’s true ability. In many cases, the more correct term would be “won’t.”
That is because many people don’t use all of the resources at their disposal to attempt to solve a problem. They just give up before truly even trying.
As a result, the next time you hear the word “can’t” from an employee, ask the following questions to determine if the correct word is “can’t,” or actually “won’t.”
- What tools have you used to attempt to solve the problem?
- How long have you worked on the problem?
- What are your biggest obstacles in solving the problem?
- What would be the biggest aid in helping you solve the problem?
- Is this problem the actual problem, or is it just a symptom of a larger issue?
Encourage your employees to challenges themselves in solving issues. Outside-the-box thinking can turn “can’ts” into successes, and lead to issues being solved that may have plagued your business for months, or even years.
