Be Your Own Executive Coach: Use the SOLVE Framework

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Welcome back, managers. Today, we're going to be talking about an article out of Harvard Business Review titled How to Coach Yourself Through Complex Problems. It's by Katie Best. And essentially, it's about being your own executive coach. Now, being an executive coach for 20 years, I know that there is a formal place for a coach, but I also know that there are some opportunities for you to really take advantage of this concept. So that's why I'm putting it out there.

Executive coaching isn't always available when you need it most. And, you know, I know budgets shrink, timing slips, support just doesn't come fast enough sometimes. Sometimes that's where self-coaching can come in and play a key role in your own development, not to replace formal coaching, don't get me wrong, but to help you lead yourself through high stakes moments and using a framework known as SOLVE. S-O-L-V-E, to really guide your thinking when challenges hit.

So the S in solve stands for state the problem. So here we're trying to really strip the issue down to a one or two sentence problem statement, making it as specific as you can, including the impact of the problem, and avoid jumping to solutions too early. Oftentimes I think we try to solve problems way before we even understand them. So this clarity then gives you something concrete to work with. So S, state the problem. The O in solve stands for open the box.

This is where you want to really clear away the weeds, dig in, investigate the root causes. You want to observe any behavioral patterns that might be holding you back here, any inherent biases. Good time to gather informal feedback from others about this particular challenge. And really, look at your assumptions. Making sure that you're not overthinking or underthinking is a big help here. Looking beyond the symptoms, really, to diagnose what's really going on at the root cause.

So the O in solve open the box. The L is lay out the solution. So design a plan that fits your organization, fits your team, aligns with your culture. Don't copy and paste what's worked elsewhere. Ask yourself whether your approach targets the real issue and fits how things actually get done in your organization. So L is laying out the solution.

That reminds me of when I was in my consulting practice, being an executive coach, I would often use the McKinsey method of just throwing out an early solution. And it wasn't that anyone thought that the solution might be the ultimate way we would go, but it gives people an anchor to hold on to. It's much easier to think about a problem when you've got something on paper rather than just trying to come up with something in a nebulous kind of fashion.

So I like this idea. It reminded me a lot of when I was a an executive coach myself. So laying out the solution. The V in solve is venture forth. So here's when you want to act, but stay alert. Watch for any overconfidence that you might be having, cultural resistance, any unintended consequences. And be ready to revise your plan if you need to. So V, venture forth. And then finally, the E in solve is elevate your learning.

So we always need to, as we move through a solution, we always want to do an after-action review reflecting on what action has been done. what the results were? What did you learn? How can you apply it again? Would you apply it the same way? Would you apply it a different way? Using this experience to really strengthen your leadership over time.

So in summary, when you can't hire an executive coach, you don't have time to hire an executive coach, the timing just isn't right, whatever it might be, Use the solve framework. State the problem. Open the box. Lay out the solution. Venture forth and elevate your learning.

I hope that you use this framework. I hope that it helps you and I'd love to hear from you. If you do try some of these concepts, let me know how you do. And until next time we meet in the manager lab, do good work.