When the Problem Isn’t the Problem

Summary

Have you ever started down the path of solving a problem only to realize the problem you’re solving isn’t THE problem after all? It’s more common than you would think. It got me to thinking as to why that is and what we could do about it to ensure that as much as possible we are focusing on the root cause of a problem thus saving us time, energy, and expense in working through our problem-solving process.

Many times, clients will come to me with an acute problem that needs addressing. While that acute problem is certainly an issue that does indeed need addressing, it is frequently a cover for another deeper, more difficult-to-see problem that isn’t readily visible or identifiable without the skills and insight into a variety of factors.

In this blog, I’ll delve into how problems manifest themselves, how we can identify what the real problem is, including strategies to prepare yourself for future problem identification and resolution.

What is a Problem?

Problems come in all shapes and sizes, each creating varying degrees of obstacles, emotional distress, and requiring appropriate solutions. Some examples of problems include:

• Personal: Health issues, relationship challenges, financial struggles
• Professional: Career stagnation, workplace conflicts, lack of faith in leadership, alignment with values
• Business: Operational inefficiencies, competitive landscape, changing customer needs, customer satisfaction, influence of Artificial Intelligence, financial management
• Academic: Learning difficulties, performance demands, peer comparison, time management, dedication
• Social: Community issues, environmental concerns, cultural barriers, religious beliefs
• Technological: Fit for purpose solutions, system failures, user experience, accuracy, cost, maintenance, pace of change, innovation
• Emotional: Stress, anxiety, self-esteem, trauma, etc.

You may have your own ‘buckets’ for your own problems, and it is important to know that each of your types of problems can require different approaches and solutions. This, of course, ties back to the importance of identifying and addressing the root cause issues rather than just the symptoms, which we will discuss below.

Why Problem Identification is Important

Misidentifying problems wastes time, energy, and resources. Do you have an abundance of each of these areas? Most of us don’t. Further, you may consider yourself a good problem-solver, but to what end if you are not solving the root cause problem? The analogy of rearranging the chairs on the Titanic comes to mind for me here.

Consider a situation in your home. When it rains you have water dripping through your ceiling causing damage to the ceiling surface, creating a need to move the furniture below, and sourcing a container to catch the water. This is a problem. You decide to do something about it, so you procure tools and materials to repair the damage. You set things up, repair the hole, repaint, remove the bucket, and put the furniture back. Job done, back to normal life.

Then it rains again, and water starts to come through the ceiling again. You already solved the problem that was visible to you, so now you have a choice. Do you solve the problem again in the same way and hope that you’ve taken care of it once and for all, or do you conduct further investigation to determine what alternative action might be needed to eradicate the problem?

While this is an obvious example of the symptom versus the root cause of a problem, this is an analogous situation that we face every day. Sometimes the root cause is more obvious than at other times, however the key is to constantly be on the lookout for the root cause or underlying problems to make sure you are effective in your problem solving.

This is so Obvious…

Now, there will be circumstances where you know the root cause of a problem. You know why the problem happens, from where it manifests, and in many circumstances, you will have an idea of the required steps that need to be taken to address the problem. That does not mean that the root cause of the problem is easily addressable, or that it is feasible or practical to address this problem right away or in an elegant fashion.

Let’s talk about a professional example that might be familiar to you. The leader of your team regularly makes and communicates ‘bad’ decisions that result in extra work, rework, unnecessary overtime, quality challenges, and reputational damage for the team. Despite feedback being provided to the leader about the fallout of these decisions, nothing materially changes. To the team, the problem is obviously the competence of the leader in representing and protecting the team, therefore the options available are to remove the leader from their position or invest in professional development that will allow him to make better decisions in the future. Seems simple.

So, let’s say he is removed and replaced with another, more seasoned and qualified leader. Beauty, we’re back in business. Then our new leader falls into the same habits as the previous leader, leading to the same or similar results. What is it with this team and their luck with bad leaders? Let’s say we replace this leader only to find the same results. Wait a minute. Maybe there is something deeper happening at the organization (root cause) that is manifesting itself into the outcomes (symptoms) that the team is experiencing. You now have information you didn’t have before, therefore an opportunity to influence meaningful change going forward.

Reality check time. You might have very limited remediation options available to you under given circumstances. What you do have, though, is an opportunity to clearly communicate the situation and what immediate next steps will be required to be taken. This is easier said than done though. What if the root cause of the problem Is very well known around the organization yet no-one seems to want to, or be able to take the necessary action to address it because:

• It is directly related to the competence of the CEO of the company
• He or she owns the company
• It is a child of the owner who is being primed to one day take over
• It is caused by the performance of a very expensive system that was poorly implemented last year and is just not fit for purpose
• It is caused by a subject matter expert whose skill sets are so rare that their behaviour is tolerated because we can’t afford the opportunity that they are upset in any way
• It directly relates to government decisions that have led to restrictions on the organization

What I’m saying is that while some root causes might be easy to spot from your vantage point, there might be circumstances at play that make that root cause very difficult to address head-on. You are then in a perpetual cycle of workarounds, misinformation, and collectively ‘pretending’ that the situation doesn’t exist.

How a Problem Manifests

I’ve already discussed symptoms and root causes, which is another way of saying that on some occasions you will be dealing with superficial symptoms and addressing these will do little good in identifying and addressing the underlying causes. You might not know in the beginning and may take things at face value, and while there is nothing wrong with that approach, what would it look like to take a step back, critically analyze the situation, and ask a question like, ‘Is this the realproblem we’re solving here?’, which is an invite for deeper thinking.

While employing deeper thinking, look out for signs of problems manifesting, such as in the following areas:

• Stress: Team members feeling or demonstrating signs that stress has been introduced or is increasing
• Demotivation: Motivation is waning on the team, or with certain individuals
• Performance: A decline in individual or team performance
• Atmosphere: Positive workplace attributes, such camaraderie, is materially changing (not for the better)
• Absence: Staff staying away from the workplace
• Conflict: Becomes more prevalent (and potentially more intense) leading to strained relationships

Be cognizant that some impacts of problem manifestation will not present immediately, but if not addressed swiftly can have significant detrimental longer-term effects and consequences.

Identifying the Root Cause

Based on your learnings from the section above, you will now be paying proper attention to all symptoms that might identify potential problem manifestation. This is a great thing. You’re now on the problem-solving path. Below are some signs that you are focusing on the wrong problem:

• Issues recurring: If a problem keeps repeating or is not being solved to the required level
• Lack of progress: Your rectification efforts are stagnating despite your efforts
• Feedback: It is important to employ external perspectives for their input to round off your own experiences and conclusions

There are a variety of ways that you can work towards uncovering whether you are working on the symptom or root cause problem. Some key methods are described below:

• Root cause analysis: This can be performed using a variety of techniques, for example flowcharts, mind maps, or fishbone diagrams to establish what you know today and other potential opportunities to investigate
• 5 whys: Asking ‘Why?’ multiple times to dig deeper into the information presented by the problem will get you closer to the root cause. Note: You might go for 3, or 7, or another number. Whatever works best for you
• Historical information: Someone somewhere could have previous experience with the problem you’re trying to solve, so make sure to keep and maintain accurate records. Consider a way to capture problem-related information in a way that makes sense for you
• Feedback loops: Regular check-ins and feedback sessions with key stakeholders will ensure consistent communication flow

The key is to establish a culture of questioning everything so as to avoid any circumstances where complacency could creep in and render your problem-solving processes less effective. An ineffective approach to establishing an appropriate strategy for addressing your problems is too costly for you and your organization.

Strategies for Future Problem-Solving

Always be on the lookout for information behind the information that is being presented. Question everything, expect to be questioned, and be open to whatever information comes out of your inquiries. Below are further strategies you might consider:

• Actively listen: Look upon every interaction as an opportunity to listen at a deeper level to what is and is not being said. See what this brings out in the conversation and act accordingly
• Iterate: Pick a remediation path then employ iterative progress and testing, continuously gathering feedback to further refine your understanding of the problem
• Be flexible: As you iterate, be open to modifying your approach as you gain more insight. This might include abandoning a course of action altogether and going back to the drawing board

Problems can be sneaky and manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Their job is to get in your way, slow things down, make like difficult, and generally be annoying. They will change whatever they are to confuse you and stay one step ahead. Always be on your guard when a problem presents itself to you, employ some (or all) of the techniques described in this blog, and measure your progress over time. Gauge how more intention in this area serves you going forward.

Coach Gaz Challenge: Take some time to list your current top 3-5 problems. Identify to the best of your knowledge whether you are addressing the symptoms or the root cause. Please do let me know what you find, and whether it was what you thought it would be.

I’m always open to a conversation on your thoughts, opinions, and experiences on this or any topic in the library. Get in touch by subscribing below, or by using the form on the Let’s Connect area of the site.