Bring Me a Problem—and a Recommendation

There is a phrase I’ve used with teams throughout my career:

“Don’t just bring me a problem. Bring me a recommendation.”

That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear about problems.

I absolutely do.

I want people to raise concerns. I want them to tell me when something isn’t working. And I definitely want to know about an issue before it becomes a crisis.

But identifying the problem is only the beginning.

What do you recommend we do about it?

That’s where the real thinking begins.

The Problem Is the Starting Point

It’s usually pretty easy to identify what’s wrong.

The process isn’t working.

Someone dropped the ball.

We don’t have enough resources.

The deadline is unrealistic.

Something needs to change.

Okay.

What do you recommend?

That question changes the conversation.

Instead of simply transferring a problem from their desk to mine, the person bringing it has to think through the situation.

• What caused it?

• What options do we have?

• What are the risks?

• Who needs to be involved?

• What would I do if this decision were mine?

  
  

Now we’re developing something much more valuable than a solution.

We’re developing judgment.

Don’t Become the Next Step in Every Process

There’s a trap that can develop inside organizations.

Something happens.

An employee tells a supervisor.

The supervisor tells a director.

The director tells an executive.

And eventually someone at the top is expected to decide what everyone else should do.

Leaders can unintentionally create this.

Every time someone brings us a problem and we immediately take ownership of it, we teach them:

Bring the problem to me and I’ll solve it.

Do that long enough and eventually everything comes to you.

Then we complain that we’re overwhelmed.

Sometimes we created the very dependency we’re frustrated by.

Change the Expectation

I’m trying to make the expectation simple:

If you bring me a problem, whenever possible, bring me your recommendation too.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I may disagree with it. We may talk through it and find a better option. There may be information or experience I have that changes the decision.

That’s okay.

The recommendation isn’t the point. The thinking is.

• Why do you believe that’s the best approach?

• What alternatives did you consider?

• What’s the downside?

• Who will this affect?

• What happens if it doesn’t work?

  
  

Those questions help me understand how someone thinks.

Over time, something happens.

The recommendations get better.

The questions get better.

The decisions get better.

And eventually, they don’t need to bring every problem to you.

That’s growth.

Guidance Is Not Abandonment

This doesn’t mean telling someone:

“That’s your problem. Figure it out.”

That’s not leadership.

Our responsibility is still to provide guidance, resources, context and guardrails.

Sometimes someone genuinely doesn’t have enough information or experience to develop the answer themselves.

That’s where coaching matters.

• “Walk me through what you’re seeing.”

• “What options have you considered?”

And finally:

“What do you recommend?”

• You’re still there.

• You’re still supporting them.

• You’re just refusing to do all of their thinking for them.

Eventually, Change the Question Again

This is where I believe real development starts to show.

At first, someone comes to you and says:

“I have a problem. What should I do?”

Then they learn to say:

“I have a problem. Here are the options I see. This is what I recommend.”

That’s progress.

Eventually, I want the conversation to become:

“I had a problem. Here’s what I decided to do and why.”

That’s empowerment.

Obviously, not every decision belongs at every level. Good organizations have clear boundaries around authority, risk, safety, finances and accountability.

But within those boundaries, people need room to lead.

Because the goal isn’t to create better followers who become increasingly skilled at asking us what to do.

The goal is to develop people who know how to think, make sound decisions and take responsibility for the outcome.

A Question for Leaders

Think about the problems that came across your desk this week.

How many arrived with a recommendation?

Now ask yourself the harder question:

Have I created an environment where people know I expect them to bring one?

If not, start with one simple question the next time someone brings you a problem:

“What do you recommend?”

• Then be quiet.

• Let them think.

• The answer matters.

• But their ability to develop the answer matters even more.

  
  

Don’t just solve the problem. Grow the person.

Go Be The Reason.