Reader:

Leaders win by listening to, and working with, those closest to the problem.

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Morning Minute 9.5.25

“Closer to the Problem? Faster to the Solution!”

Most people believe complex problems require subject matter experts.

What do you believe?

The closer you are to the problem,...the more accurate the information.

And, the quicker you will get to the solution for the problem.

When Burger King began stealing customers from McDonald’s with their Whopper, CEO Ray Kroc turned to his franchisees for a solution. Jim Delligatti, one of the franchisees, created the Big Mac—two stacked patties with lettuce, cheese, pickles, and a special sauce. Problem solved! McDonald’s regained its market dominance.

In 1792, Eli Whitney moved to a Georgia plantation. With the plantation owner, Catherine Greene, he saw how painfully slow it was to pull seeds from cotton by hand. Greene directed Whitney to design a machine to do this job quickly and mechanically. The cotton-gin was born, revolutionizing the U.S. cotton industry.

In WWII, General George Patton often drove very near the front lines. He made decisions from what he saw firsthand, not just from maps, nor information from subordinates. Those rapid decisions propelled the Third Army’s speed and success, especially in the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

In every case, these leaders got close to the problem. They listened to the people doing the work, not just outside experts. That proximity gave them both clarity & solutions.

Morning Minute Challenge:​
What problem are you facing today? Go to the people closest to the problem. Ask what they see. Ask for their ideas and solutions. Then act.

If you’d like help, reach out—I’d be glad to join you in the process.

“Closer to the Problem? Faster to the Solution!”

That’s today’s Morning Minute.

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If a family member, coworker, or someone you know may find this message helpful, interesting, and/or informative, please share it with them.

As always, your comments, your questions, and your observations are greatly appreciated! Reach out to me at ​lab@larryonlearning.com​.

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Here are some recent Morning Minutes you may have missed with actionable ideas, useful instruction, and step-by-step methods to help you, your family, and/or your team to be more, do more, and earn more.

​"How To Best Serve Your Clients!" Is your inability to close your client keeping you from serving your client? Learn how that every sale creates an entire network of jobs in the marketplace. Discover the simple, repeatable 4 step process that works to deliver solutions. solve problems, and build relationships that lead to repeat and referral business.

​"Don't Just Set Goals...Track Them!" How KPIs turn big objectives into daily progress! You can't Improve what you don't measure. Learn how that KPI's turn your goals into measurable activities. Discover a real live example of how that realistic goals are made easier to understand by using KPIs!

​"You Can't Use What You Know...Only What You Practice!" This video explains the missing link between what you learn and your professional excellence! Knowledge is of little value until you put it into action. Discover 4 sample career paths that require practice to develop your professional skills. Learn how that only perfect practice can give you the skills required to achieve excellence in your occupation!

​"How Do You Overcome Feeling Inadequate?" Discover the 3 primary reasons that make individuals feel inadequate. Learn how that self doubt negatively affects your ability to be more, do more and earn more. And remember: As you SEE yourself...you ARE!

​"The 6 Essentials of Project Success!" We all need a process for building, planning, and launching successful projects. Discover how that having a template for project planning keeps you organized leading to successful events. Learn how to use these 6 powerful steps to plan, create, execute and analyze your next project.

​"QUESTIONS: Your Most Underrated Leadership Tool!" Learn how to guide behavior and build trust...without sounding bossy! Learn how to use questions instead of directions to guide discussions as you transform a problem into a solution. Discover 2 examples of how to use questions to guide, direct, and influence others.

​"Speak to Lead...Not Just to be Liked!" Recently we covered how to make Confident Decisions. Discover why that making a decision is incomplete without a method to communicate that decision. Learn the 5 ways to use your speech to lead your team with clarity, purpose, and confidence in the execution of your decisions.

As our children start back to school, remember to review what they are being taught. There is a great deal of harmful and false information currently being shared with our children. Make sure you know what they are being taught. Remember, patents are students first and most influential teachers.

May God bless you, your family, and your team!

Larry A. Bonorato

864-630-2625 lab@larryonlearning.com​

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(published by Bonorato Creative Group LLC)