Problem: What Problem?

This week's Blog takes inspiration from one of my favourite TV Shows: The Newsroom.

From the writers of The West Wing (another one of my favourite TV Shows) comes a hard hitting, beautifully scripted, fast paced dialogue about the nuances of running a Newsroom in an environment of 'fake news' and sensationalism; and how they finally stop bowing to just satisfying the ratings and instead dig deep into stories to get the facts.

The Newsroom was created in 2012 and yet, as is often the case; life, especially in politics, is imitating art.

Will McAvoy
First step in solving any problem is recognising there is one.

As a natural Problem Solver, I love this quote and believe that never a truer word is spoken.

How many times have you put your head in the sand (or escaped to the coffee shop) in the hope that if you ignore it for long enough, it will just go away.

How many times have you told yourself 'I don't have time for that' or 'I'll get to that soon' which means you're happy to put up with the pain and frustration which comes with that decision?

Or you've metaphorically (or literally) put your fingers in your ears because you don't want to hear what your team or your students or the Regulator are telling you is wrong, needs to be done/changed etc?

I know I've done this more than a few times in the many years of running my own business, and certainly when I ran RTOs.

Why?

Because it's easier, isn't it? Because if we instead choose to solve the problem (and really solve it rather than putting on a quick fix band-aid), this might get confrontational or involve a lot of work.

And who wants that? No one.

And yet you know and I know avoidance is not the answer because the problem doesn't go away. In fact, in most cases, it turns into something bigger.

So imagine the difference if you just dealt with issues as they arose rather than putting up with them, putting them off or ignoring them completely?

Now I understand it may mean some emotive words are expressed in a professional manner.

But I'm here to tell you that's OK. 

Because by digging deep and allowing people to respectfully vent their true feelings, you can not only acknowledge the problem exists; but together, you can actually develop a simple system to solve the problem, once and for all.

Brainstorm all the problems you believe exist within in your RTO and get your team to do the same.

Then compare the lists to see how close 'Management' is to 'Staff', and then start having real and honest conversations to solve each and every one of them.

Not sure which one to tackle first?

The one which causes the most angst and frustration for you (which could also be the one which is costing you the most in time and money), and then have the team pick theirs and resolve that one as well so everyone gets a win-win outcome.

Keep going until the list is done.

And here's my final thought:

The question facing volatile cable-news anchor Will McAvoy and his ideological staff is:

Is it possible to produce good TV news and still make it popular?

And if we replace good TV News with quality training within a simple, profitable (popular) and compliant business, doesn't this question now relate to you and your RTO?

So is it possible?

Well, that's entirely up to you and your team.

But it starts with looking in the mirror and being honest about the Good, Bad and the Ugly of working at your RTO, and then having a willingness to truly solve the problems (real and perceived).

Good luck.

Helping you to build, manage and grow your RTO business

Tamara

P.S. If you want to find out what RTO financial success looks like, then register here for the next RTO Conversations webinar.