It’s easy to get caught up solving what’s visible: the delayed project, the underperforming team, the glitchy system. But symptoms often point to deeper issues—and focusing only on the surface can waste time, effort, and credibility.
In our work, we often find that what looks like a technology issue is really a process issue. Or what looks like a performance problem is really a clarity or communication breakdown. According to a study published by Harvard Business Review, 85% of C-suite executives say their organizations are poor at diagnosing problems—and 87% admit this carries significant costs. The cost of addressing the wrong problem? Frustrated teams, recurring issues, and initiatives that fall flat.
Fast and Furious
Solving the wrong problem isn’t about being careless—it’s often about moving too fast with incomplete or misleading information. Leaders are under pressure to act quickly, make progress visible, and deliver results. But when decisions are based on surface symptoms, assumptions, or fragmented input, they often target the wrong issue entirely.
Without a clear, shared understanding of what’s really happening beneath the surface, even the most well-intended fixes can miss the mark.
A few common traps:
- Overlooking front-line insights. Failing to tap into the knowledge of the people closest to the work—those who often see the real issues first.
- Mistaking symptoms for causes. Fixing what’s loud instead of what’s systemic.
- Defaulting to tools. Assuming a new system or software will solve the problem.
- Working in silos. Solving locally without understanding cross-functional dynamics.
Every trap above can be avoided—or at least greatly reduced—by taking the time to explore, ask some questions, and gather input before jumping to solutions.
A Better Approach
Before acting, zoom out. Effective problem-solving starts with structured curiosity:
- Frame the issue. What’s the business outcome at risk?
- Map what’s happening. Look at process, behavior, and decision flow—not just tools.
- Ask “why” more than once. Surface root causes, not just what’s broken.
- Listen before prescribing. The people doing the work often know where things fall apart.
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Validate with data. Look for patterns, not anecdotes.
When you take this approach, you are more likely to fix what’s actually broken. And the upside is real—according to SixSigma organizations that excel at problem-solving are about 3.5 times more likely to grow their income faster than their peers. It doesn’t require a massive effort—a little discovery goes a long way. Taking just a bit of time to ask the right questions and listen closely is almost always worth it and often pays off many times over. The key is to design a simple, repeatable "problem process" that can be used anytime a new challenge surfaces—one that builds the habit of pausing, exploring, and aligning before jumping into solution mode.
Every business hit rough patches. The smart ones don’t just treat the pain—they diagnose the cause. Slow down early, solve better later. Putting a simple “problem process” in place not only helps resolve issues more effectively in the moment but also lays the foundation for stronger habits and a culture of continuous improvement.