Last year, I took down a dying tree. We cut it down at the base, but we didn’t grind up the roots. Guess what? The tree started producing shoots from the stump. It was not dead, we just cut it back and it kept growing. Most issues or problems are similar. We tend to address symptoms instead of getting to the root cause. Below are a few ways I have found that help solve issues as we do business.
Are the right people at the table? Bring everyone together who participates in the issue. This avoids drama and mystification. If you want to figure it out and build trust, everyone has to be on the same page and be a part of the solution.
Why is the issue even happening? One of my favorite authors is Simon Sinek who authored the book ‘Start with Why.’ He says that you have to start with Why before you can get to What and How. That’s because if you take a need and start to ask the Why questions, you can normally start to figure out the real What.
Are we dealing with the real issue? Don’t confuse the symptoms with the issue. They are just the things on the surface. We often want quick fixes, and we treat the symptoms, only to have them resurface with a vengeance. Ask the question when a symptom arises – what is causing that? The goal is to figure out the true need.
Do we have any facts? We tend to try and solve problems with hearsay, gut instincts, and untruths. Data, context, and actual proof help to see what is actually going on. You will find when you look back, you can see movement, trends or drifting that has occurred. I have found, even 5 degrees off over time can have us miles off course. I have also found; data can tell us a story.
What will prevent the issue from happening? If you lose weight, then go right back to what put the weight on, you’ll be in a vicious cycle. If you don’t look at how to prevent things, they will just reoccur. Forest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Stop doing the things causing the problem.
What do we want to see happen now? Now you know the issue, so now what? What are the next steps to move forward and where do we really want to go now that we know the true situation? Does what we found alter the course? What are the steps to where we want to go?
How do we do that? We now know the issue and know what we want to do, but one of the biggest mistakes is that no one puts the plan and timeline together to get things done. What are the action steps that need to happen? Who needs to do what? By when?
If your company is like ours, this past year had us frustrated as the market changed multiple times and things are happening faster than ever before. We worked our tails off but were not as efficient or profitable as in years past. We started looking at how we were doing business. But backed up and started with our Why, then moved to What and How so we could Thrive. I hope this helps provide a fresh perspective and practical solutions for overcoming your obstacles in 2024.