The 3-3-3 Model That Trains Your Team to Solve Their Own Problems

If you're bombarded with "Gotta minute?" questions, you don’t have a team, you have a swarm of “problem messengers.”

To fix this once and for all, implement the 3-3-3 Model…

…a tiered decision filtering system that trains your team to solve their own problems before bringing them to you.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: The 3-Minute “Google-First” Rule

CEO’s spend way too much time Googling stuff for their employees.

This has to stop.

All team members must take at least 3 minutes to check Google and ChatGPT to see if they can find the answer themselves BEFORE asking you or anyone else. (Believe it or not, this will take care of 80% of the “shoulder taps” and “gotta-minutes?”)

Step 2: The 3-Peer Rule

If they still need help, they must consult at least three peers before escalating the issue to a superior (and definitely before kicking it up to the CEO).

It doesn’t matter if it’s peers at the company or peers in a public forum, they just need to seek the advice of others at their level before engaging their bosses.

There’s wisdom in groups, especially when the members of those groups are “in-the-trenches” like they are.

Step 3: The 3-Question “1:3:1” Rule

If they still need you, they must ask three questions before approaching you with their issue:

• Question #1: What is the actual problem? (They need to be able to articulate the issue clearly in one or two sentences, or they don’t understand what they’re even solving for.)

• Question #2: What are three (3) possible solutions? (They need to be able to show that they have at least done some independent thought and analysis.)

• Question #3: What do I recommend and why? (They need to have an opinion, even if it’s wrong. No hypothesis…no learning.)

Why This Works: Most problems don’t need you…they just need better filters. 

This system builds an autonomous team and frees you to focus.

The result: Fewer interruptions, smarter problem-solvers, and a massive productivity boost.

⚡ Action Step: Share this 3-3-3 Model with your team. The next time someone brings an issue to you, ask them if they’ve run it through the “3-3-3 Filter,” and start training people in real-time to bring solutions…not problems.

Quick Hits

Here’s some other content from the Scalable network you might have missed:

• 🧰 Tool of the Week: This free “Founder-First” Hiring Scorecard ensures you only hire people you LOVE working with.

• 📈 Here’s a step-by-step training on how to map a “Growth Engine” that automates your sales and marketing.

• 🏆 12 minutes on “Designing Your Perfect Week” (a.k.a. Time-Blocking for CEOs)

• 🤝 Acquiring a business? Here’s how to make sure key people DON’T leave (according to Roland Frasier).

• 🤑 This is the most important metric we track (and no, it’s not “P&L Profit”)