Napoleon Bonapart

ASK THE EXPERT

I just read books about Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat at Waterloo and General Custer's defeat at the Little Bighorn. I looked for any common threads to each one's demise.

Each of these men discounted the advice of those closest to them regarding the most significant problems in their lives, choosing to face them alone. Big enough issues that it ended one man's life along with 250 of his cavalry soldiers, and the others' careers, and the loss of 25,000 French soldiers. Both leaders' arrogance and egos ruined them and killed others.

Each of these leaders had the answers given to them yet followed their own advice to failure.

I am often asked for advice on a business issue with the comment, "Well, you're the expert; you can figure this out."

The title 'expert' is easily thrown around in the business world. I have met some smart people who are experts, and many more who just think they are.

I have years of experience, common sense, training, and have made enough of my own mistakes to be of help to business owners, yet I am no expert.

Whenever a problem occurs in your company, people and factors are involved.

My advice is always to visit those people and the factors that are involved in this problem. Ask the people involved how they would solve this problem.

People love to offer their ideas and advice, and who is closer to the problem than those in the situation?

The people closest to the problem are the experts in solving the problem, and you should seek their help. Here are the six tips for finding a solution.

• Determine the realities of the problem. Accept no assumptions or what you think, or what you wish is the truth. Find the truth.

• Accept all advice and solutions to the problem, later decide what best fits your solution.

• After you have collected the answers, drill down into how this can or can't work.

• Be open to other options and paths to take to solve this problem.

• It is OK for others to have answers and give them credit for the solutions. 

• When the solutions come in, it is like a rising tide. Everyone's boat rises, everyone wins.

As the boss, you didn't gain success all by yourself. You needed the help of others. Now use that help to solve your current problem and gain success again.