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Triumphing over leadership obstacles and seizing opportunities requires robust problem-solving skills. 

“We always hope for the easy fix: the one simple change that will erase a problem in a stroke. But few things in life work this way. Instead, success requires making a hundred small steps go right – one after the other, no slipups, no goofs, everyone pitching in.” – Atul Gawande 

Problem-solving skills are the cornerstone of successful leadership, particularly in our industry. We’ve got a lot coming at us all at once, it often feels like, but the answers are usually best solved one at a time.    

At the Core of Problem-Solving  

We all know the term, but how exactly do we define it? In cognitive psychology, “problem-solving” encapsulates the mental journey human beings take to identify, analyze, and resolve their challenges.  

Kendra Cherry from Very Well Mind outlines the mental processes that occur during problem-solving:  

• Perceptually recognizing the problem 
• Representing the problem in memory 
• Considering relevant information that applies to the problem 
• Identifying different aspects of the problem 
• Labeling and describing the problem 

Whether you like to work through problems by creating lists or flowcharts or through trial and error, there are many ways in which you can approach a challenge. There are also many potential ways you can sabotage your efforts, including working with incomplete or incorrect information, making assumptions, or failing to look “outside the box” of traditional critical thinking.  

Related reading: Turning Setbacks into Success: 4 Remarkable Stories of Overcoming Adversity 

Problem-Solving Isn’t a Single-Step Concept 

It might seem simple enough: you have a problem, so you find a solution to that problem. However, solving that problem is rarely so simple. What we can take from Atul Gawande’s perspective is that solving our challenges is a matter of breaking the big problem down into several smaller, more easily solvable issues, taking them one at a time until that challenge has been made into your opportunity. 

Here are some steps you can take to develop your problem-solving skills and tackle your challenges with your team: 

1. Build a Diverse Team: 

• Surround yourself with individuals offering diverse perspectives and skills, and create a culture where freely sharing those perspectives and ideas is encouraged. 

2. Develop Analytical Skills: 

• Hone your analytical abilities by regularly evaluating data related to our industry. By staying ahead of both what’s on the horizon and how leaders have navigated change and challenges in the past, you can use that information to create success paths in the here and now. 

3. Case Studies and Simulations: 

• Engage in real-life case studies and simulations. Practicing problem-solving in controlled environments allows leaders to refine decision-making skills and develop strategies incrementally. 

4. Feedback Loop: 

• Establish a feedback loop within your team, which allows you to adjust strategies through continuous refinement. Regularly review outcomes of problem-solving efforts, analyze successes and failures, and use feedback to make incremental improvements. 

5. Scenario Planning: 

• Anticipate potential challenges through scenario planning. Develop strategies and contingency plans for various hypothetical situations to enhance your ability to respond incrementally to unexpected issues. 

Being Prepared: Japan Airlines Example 

Recently, Japan Airlines suffered a plane crash on a runway where the plane was soon engulfed in flames. Miraculously, all 379 passengers on board were successfully evacuated, and nobody was hurt. How? They had practiced a multitude of scenarios and developed their strategies for all types of emergencies so that when something happened, they were prepared.  

This level of preparedness thinking is applicable in real estate as well, particularly with the increasing number of lawsuits and fallout. By running scenarios and creating a plan to handle that problem, you are getting prepared and even becoming more resilient as a team in the process.  

Related reading: CNN – Miracle at Haneda: Passengers describe terror and relief after fiery Japan Airlines collision 

Related reading: – Unconventional Ways to Embrace Real Estate Opportunities 

For Your Agents… 

The art of problem-solving is a fundamental skill that sets successful agents apart. Just as cognitive psychology delves into the mental processes of discovering, analyzing, and resolving challenges, your journey in real estate requires mastering this invaluable skill to achieve your goals. 

In our line of work, it’s not uncommon to have clear goals, while the path to achieving them remains unclear. This is where problem-solving becomes your compass. Embrace challenges, stay informed, foster collaboration, and make data-driven decisions to enhance your problem-solving skills. By doing this, you pave the way for achieving your goals and making your mark in this incredible world.  

Know that agents do NOT have to go it alone in this market. 

Our goal is to bring the tools, training, and coaching to not only survive the shifts – but also build solid, dependable foundations they can count on and help them build clients for life. If that sounds like a goal that can help you reach YOUR goals – then join us for our Free Weekly Real Estate Webinar Training Series! Click below to register for the next one! 

Darryl Davis is an award-winning international speaker, real estate and business coach, and best-selling author of three books, all published by McGraw Hill Publishers.       

For more than 35 years, Darryl has spoken to and trained more than 100,000 sales professionals around the globe to more than double their production year after year. His book,  How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate, tops Amazon’s charts for one of the most sold books to real estate agents.       

He was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation by the National Speaker’s Association, which is given to less than 2% of all speakers worldwide.       

Whether from a stage or Zooming into a virtual room, Darryl’s extraordinary humor, relatability, and natural gift for teaching real-world, results-producing skills and mindsets to audiences have made him a client favorite throughout his career.       

Audiences will laugh, learn, and ultimately walk away better prepared for a changing world, with the tools, skills, and training they need to build their businesses with more ease and less stress and to design lives and careers worth smiling about.       

Bring One of Darryl’s W.O.R.K. Topics to Your Organization!      

By providing your agents with the knowledge and insights they need to stay ahead of the game, you can ensure that they are equipped to handle any situation that comes their way! Contact us here to learn more!