[TheOtherHobbes]

This is fine in theory, but most solutions require time, resources, people, money... all things that employees lower down the hierarchy are unlikely to have.

If you're saying 'Bring a suggested solution but don't try to implement it without buy-in', that's a slightly different process.

The issue of who notices/fixes/prioritises/analyses tactical and strategic problems, and who assigns resources for the fixes, can make or break companies.

It's not a simple problem. I suspect a lot of popular solutions are probably sub-optimal.

[jnem]

True, if we get down to the nitty gritty, its not as simple as I portrayed. My intent was to say, bring an idea for a solution, don't just bring a problem. If I had two employees who came to me with the same problem, and one came prepared with a recommended solution and the other one didn't, it would be clear to me who the more valuable employee is.

[Retra]

If my CEO is going to demand internal pre-prepared solutions to everything, then I'd demand that they be competent enough to not need my input anymore.

I mean, "hire someone who knows how to fix this" is obvious enough that it needn't be stated, nor defended behind this "bring an idea for a solution, don't just bring a problem" talk.

Which frankly sounds like something a motivational poster writer should be saying, not someone concerned with running a business. Platitudes are rarely the solution to a meaningful problem, in my experience.

[jnem]

No one said demand.

[Retra]

No one said "take everything literally" either.