Figure it out as a superpower

The couple was celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, and all the guests wondered how they could have stayed that long. They all wanted to figure it out how they could have existed this long as a couple.

The husband responded, “When we were first married, we agreed: I would make all the significant decisions, and my wife would make all the minor decisions. In 60 years of marriage, I finally figured out that we have never needed to make a significant decision.”

Organizations reach maximum success when their workforce adopts a self-sufficient problem-solving approach. Another way to say this is that companies are more likely to succeed when their employees are eager to figure things out.

The head of sales at SurveyMonkey performed an anonymous survey with 15 sales managers. Seventy percent of managers surveyed agreed that their top performers displayed a growth mindset alongside grit, realistic optimism, and the “figure-it-out” factor.

The “figure-it-out” factor extends beyond problem-solving because it combines curiosity with adaptability and proactive creativity, especially when dealing with uncertain conditions. One person remains calm while the beaker bubbles over in a chemistry class, stating, “Huh. Let’s figure this out.”

The core aspect of the “figure-it-out” factor shows strong links with superior problem-solving abilities and creative thinking. Such leadership looks for employees who exhibit these qualities because their organizations can overcome obstacles that block their competitors. Steve Jobs led Apple to become a leading innovative company by focusing on relentless curiosity and constant questioning, which challenged established practices.

Your team needs to develop the figure-it-out factor, which requires you to revise your recruitment procedures. The hiring process needs to move away from traditional questions because you should ask behavior-based questions that assess curiosity and creativity, such as “Tell me about a recent time you explored something new and what you learned from it.” Such an approach provides more profound insights into candidates’ personal qualities and flexibility.

A leading tech company in Silicon Valley evaluates applicants through unusual questions such as “How many golf balls would fit inside a school bus?” to assess their pressure-testing abilities for creative and adaptable responses.

An efficient interview technique involves giving candidates a task but suddenly changing its requirements as they work on it. Observe candidates’ reactions – do they adapt or panic? People who possess the figure-it-out factor will naturally progress toward ambiguous situations rather than choosing to step away from them. The astronauts at NASA undergo extensive training for unexpected situations because they learn to maintain composure when faced with changing circumstances.

With consistent practice, everyone can develop their figure-it-out abilities:

Promote the use of “Why?” Encourage your team members to question established practices. Any decision should not be validated by repeating, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Teach fundamental problem-solving. Break challenges into simpler components. Someone who cannot break down a problem so that a beginner understands it has not achieved complete comprehension of the issue. Richard Feynman stressed that understanding complex concepts requires the ability to simplify them effectively since failure to do so indicates a lack of comprehension.

Embrace failure as data. Establish an environment that welcomes risk-taking while using failure as a teaching opportunity. Organizations receive essential data points from every failure, which leads them to future success. The numerous failures of Thomas Edison resulted in his development of the practical electric light bulb.

Business survival and competitive advantage require organizations to develop adaptability through creative problem-solving and curiosity. McKinsey & Company research shows that organizations that demonstrate swift pivoting during uncertain times perform better than their less adaptable competitors.

Implementing figure-it-out principles leads organizations to develop an innovative culture that builds resilience and enhances their ability to adapt. You should take the lead whenever your team encounters an obstacle by saying, “Huh. Let’s figure this out.”

Join Francis Kong on his official YouTube and podcast platform, Kongversations with Francis, where meaningful conversations inspire purposeful living. You can also listen to Inspiring Excellence, now available on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast streaming platforms.