Everyone has had the experience of explaining a problem to a friend, and having her spot the answer in about thirty seconds. The answer that you’d been circling for weeks.
That’s not because she’s smarter than you. It’s because she isn’t inside the problem. When you live with something every day, you stop seeing it clearly. Your assumptions become invisible, your options seem narrower than they are, and the obvious move hides in plain sight.
Business owners are especially prone to this, because the business is so close to them. Here are some practical ways to step back.
Write it down as if explaining it to a stranger
Describe the problem in writing, from the beginning, as if the reader knows nothing about your business. What’s happening? What have you tried? What’s stopping you? Often the act of explaining it fully shows you what you’ve been glossing over.
Separate the facts from the story
List what you actually know, the numbers, the events, what people said, and separately, what you’re assuming or feeling about it. “The client hasn’t replied in two weeks” is a fact. “They’re unhappy and about to leave” is a story. Decisions made on stories tend to go sideways.
Ask what you’d tell a client
If a client brought you this exact situation, what would you advise? We’re usually much clearer about other people’s problems than our own. Then ask why you’re not taking your own advice.
Change the time frame
Ask how this will look in a month, a year, and five years. Some problems that feel enormous now barely matter in a year. Others that seem minor will compound if ignored. Changing the time frame helps sort which is which.
Step away, on purpose
A walk, a day off, a weekend without checking email. Stepping away isn’t avoidance if you come back to the problem with fresh eyes. A lot of good ideas show up when you stop forcing them.
Talk to people outside the problem
This is the most reliable method. Other business owners, especially from different industries, don’t share your assumptions. They’ll ask questions you haven’t asked yourself, and they’ve often faced a version of the same thing.
The best people for this are honest, experienced, and not invested in a particular answer. A peer group is ideal. Family and employees are usually too close to it.
Bring it to the room
This is exactly what WEN Round Tables are good for. Bring the thing you’ve been stuck on to a small group of women running real businesses and see what they notice. It’s also a great Wednesday “Ask the Room” question in the WEN Facebook group.
Related reading: Why Smart Business Owners Still Need Peer Support.
