A Better Problem Finds a Better Solution
Albert Einstein once said: “A problem well defined finds its own solution.”
In other words, a solution is as good as the quality of the problem it’s solving.
This was best demonstrated in a recent conversation I had with a CEO.
Whilst the CEO was on a recent operational site visit, a team member had cut his hand while handling material without wearing safety gloves.
The immediate problem appeared obvious: the employee failed to follow the required safety procedure.
The solution seemed equally obvious: reinforce the rule and hold people accountable for wearing gloves.
The CEO admitted the obvious answer was very tempting to prescribe. He recognised that whilst it may have corrected the behaviour, it would not have explained what created the problem in the first instance.
So, he took a different approach and engaged in conversation with the team member:
CEO: “Why weren’t you wearing your safety gloves?”
Team member: “I was in a hurry. A customer was waiting while I had to unload the material.”
CEO: “Why were you in a hurry?”
Team member: “The customer arrived unexpectedly to collect the material.”
CEO: “Why did the client arrive unexpectedly?”
Team member: “We had not discussed nor agreed on a collection date and time.”
CEO: “Why not?”
Team member: “We don’t have a reliable collections process for coordinating customer requests with the warehouse.”
The presenting problem was a failure to wear safety gloves.
The better problem was a failure of coordination.
INVITATION
Before solving the next problem presented to you, ask yourself: Are we addressing what happened, or understanding what made it happen?
Our actions do not happen in isolation. They are shaped by the systems, expectations and operating conditions we’re most familiar with.
Effective leaders work at both levels. They correct the unsafe behaviour and examine the system that made the behaviour more likely.
Advice may produce a quick answer. Inquiry produces deeper thinking that leads to better problems that find better solutions.