A friend asked me this week, “Steve, I think I understand generally what you do, but what is it that you really do? What is the problem that you solve for people?”
Oddly, much of what I do is to help people *figure out* what problem they’re really trying to solve. And then I help them solve that.
And the problem is often not what they first think it is.
To over-generalize, the problem people come with often looks something like, “I feel overworked, and yet I feel like my work doesn’t matter enough.” It could come out several different ways:
🚫I’m not seeing the results I expect to see.
🚫I’m not getting the recognition I think I deserve.
🚫The results I’m getting aren’t as fulfilling as I expected.
🚫I’m exhausted from the work it takes to get those results.
The underlying problem takes time, effort, and vulnerability to uncover. Here are just a few examples I’ve helped people work through:
⛔Running out of creative energy when the work’s value is not clear.
⛔Imposter feelings that lead one to avoid growth and responsibility.
⛔Lack of productivity when people fear their work will be second-guessed.
⛔Limited either/or options that hide more effective both/neither possibilities.
⛔Heroism culture that rewards expensive rescue efforts more than prevention.
⛔Mistaken impression that a problem is someone else’s responsibility to solve.
⛔Weak collaboration between teams with a preference for I-win/you-lose solutions.
If you feel overworked and yet you feel like your work doesn’t matter enough, reach out for a complimentary discovery call to find out how I can help.
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