Marcia's Leadership Q and As: How Problems Really Get Solved!

Q. In the company (and in our country, too), we have the same problems that don’t get solved over and over. There’s discussion, disagreement, some attempts to take action, and the problems re-occur. What do we need to change?

A. It is common that people in any sector who repeatedly experience the same problems, are working to solve the problems at the wrong level. Many teams put a band-aid on a problem, make a quick fix, and work at a superficial level. Problems re-emerge because the group is only working on the symptoms of the problem, not the root causes (and there are generally many).

If we don’t like what is happening, we can’t throw fast, easy “solutions” at a deep issue. Questions need to be asked, investigated, and probed deeply. It’s essential to get everyone to deeply understand the multiple root causes of a problem first. Once those are defined, then people can begin to discuss how the problem evolved. What hard work needs to happen to solve it so it doesn’t re-occur, or is greatly reduced? Who needs to be involved in implementing the solution? Tough problems will not be easily fixed. It will take dedicated focus toward the solution. Try multiple methods. Some will work; some won’t.

Solving tough problems requires a committed effort to learning, working, and improving together. Measure the outcomes. Are your results getting closer to your goals or further away? Is the situation getting worse or better? If the results are worse, try other options. If it’s getting better, keep improving. Don’t stop.