'Walking Solution' rare but unmistakable.

• Author: Wiesner, Pat
• Position: On Management - Column

WE ALL HAVE A SHORT LIST OF PEOPLE WE WOULD LIKE TO "TAKE INTO BATTLE WITH US." People we trust, admire and know can solve problems and accomplish objectives.

Recently, at a seminar, a friend and I were discussing a colleague and what a pleasure it was to be associated with her. She is incredible. When she enters a room, the entire mood seems to get more positive. She has this attitude--"Let's get after the problems here; they are solvable!"--and it spreads to everyone involved.

She is realistic, but you have a feeling she will definitely make a difference. She will make something happen. The glass is always half full, and anyone who tends to think differently changes his or her mind or gets left in the dust.

My friend referred to her as a "Walking Solution."

A rare, pleasant, open, insightful, hard-working person who makes you feel that, together, you can make a dent in just about any problem.

What a concept! Somebody in our midst who makes us all function better. How valuable would this person be to your organization?

What would this kind of person be like? Just in case we wanted to identify such a person, or better yet, become one?

My guess at the characteristics:

Cheerful. These people always seem glad to see you and are glad to be "here" no matter what sort of calamity brought the meeting together. They smile and laugh a lot and are generally pleasant to be around. The woman my friend and I were discussing came up to us at the conference, joked a little bit, asked our opinions on the major topic, promised her support and moved on to brighten up the next person's morning.

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Get quickly into action. Years ago as a young salesman I was shocked one morning to find a message from my biggest (and the company's biggest) account informing me that the client was canceling all the business for a year. I was destroyed! I saw all the negatives, the disaster, the loss of face, the loss of money and the crushing blow to my career.

But a guy in our office who was a...