Bring a proposed solution when you bring a problem

Describe the problem and your recommended path before asking for a decision.

Why it works

Escalating a problem without a proposed solution adds cognitive load to the manager — they must now both understand the problem and generate options, without the context you have. Arriving with a proposed solution (even a tentative one) signals ownership, reduces the manager’s burden, and shifts the conversation from "what should we do?" to "is this the right approach?" — a much faster and more productive discussion.

How to do it

1. Before escalating, spend 10 minutes thinking: "If I had to decide this myself, what would I do?"
2. Frame the conversation: "I have a problem I want to flag. Here’s my proposed solution. I’d like your input on whether I’m missing anything."
3. Be genuinely open to a different approach — the point is not to have your solution accepted, but to arrive prepared.
4. For truly novel or high-stakes problems, explicitly label it as such: "I’m genuinely uncertain about this and want to think through it with you."

Evidence

Ownership and proactive problem-solving are associated with higher performance ratings and faster career advancement in organizational research. The "bring solutions" framing is practitioner consensus in management literature. (anecdotal)

This practice assumes the direct report has enough context to propose a solution. For genuinely novel problems or early in a role, proposing a solution you can not actually evaluate is worse than an honest "I don’t know."

Common mistake

Bringing a solution that is already fully decided and then resisting feedback on it — which is escalation-for-approval rather than genuine problem-solving.