Juggling Monkeys: Help Employees Solve Problems

We’ve all been there—new managers, seasoned managers and aspiring managers. A team member walks in and says, “I’ve got a problem I need some help with.”

After a short explanation, the manager has an immediate response:

“I’ll check it out.”

Management guru Ken Blanchard explains this beautifully in his book The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey. Last month, we talked about why managers are so tired. Well, this is a huge reason.find the

Imagine your team member’s problem as a great big monkey hanging onto their back. As soon as you agree to check it out, the monkey swings effortlessly from their back to yours. Carry enough monkeys and they start to weigh you down. After all, you’ve got your own menagerie to work with.

Learning how to help employees solve problems without automatically taking ownership of them is an important management skill.

So how do you do it?

Remember You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers

Your job is to help and support your team. One of the best ways to provide that support is to help them improve their critical-thinking skills.

Sit down with them and work through the problem. Have a discussion where you encourage them to come up with their own solutions. Help them work through the pros and cons and determine how company policies and procedures might affect the solution.

That’s solid support, but the monkey is still with them. It’s just a bit lighter.

And that’s the point.

If you automatically solve every problem your team brings you, you may get things done faster in the moment, but what happens the next time they run into a problem? They come right back to you.

Instead of developing a problem solver, you’ve developed someone who knows exactly where to drop off their monkey.

Ask the Right Questions

Instead of offering to take the monkey, ask some thought-provoking questions.

I often tell people my job is to set their brains on fire. Find a way to get them out of their comfort zone where they simply know that you’ll handle the problem while they reach for their third iced latte of the day.

The first question I’d ask after they identify the problem is:

“Why do you see this as a problem?”

Sometimes a problem is problematic because no one has looked at it objectively. Asking why forces them to stop, think and explain what’s actually happening.

From there, keep asking questions.

“What have you already tried?”

This tells you whether they’ve made an effort to solve the problem before bringing it to you.

“What do you think we should do?”

Now you’re asking them to move from identifying a problem to developing a solution.

And one of my favorites:

“What do you need from me?”

Maybe they need information. Maybe they need you to remove an obstacle. Maybe they just need to know they’re headed in the right direction.

None of those things requires you to take ownership of the problem.

Know if it’s Actually Your Monkey

Of course, not every monkey belongs on your employee’s back.

There will be problems that require your authority, experience or position to resolve. Your employee may have done everything within their control and reached the point where the next step legitimately belongs to you.

Take the monkey.

The trick is making that decision intentionally rather than automatically.

Before saying, “I’ll take care of it,” ask yourself:

Whose problem is this?

If it belongs to your team member, help them figure out what they’re going to do next. If part of it belongs to you, be clear about which part you’re taking and which part stays with them.

That keeps responsibility from getting lost somewhere between “I need some help” and “I’ll handle it.”

Don’t Automatically Take It, Help Them Carry It

Supporting your team doesn’t mean removing every obstacle from their path. Sometimes the best support you can give them is helping them figure out how to get around the obstacle themselves.

Yes, it may take longer than simply giving them the answer. You may already know exactly what they should do.

But you’re not just trying to solve today’s problem. You’re developing someone who will be better prepared to solve tomorrow’s.

The next time someone walks into your office carrying a monkey, resist the urge to immediately reach out and take it.

Ask questions. Help them think. Give them the support they need.

And before that monkey jumps back, make sure it actually belongs to you.

Ready to Stop Collecting Monkeys?

Helping your team solve their own problems is a skill—and it takes practice. If your managers need help developing the skills to support their teams without taking over, let’s start a conversation.