When the Solution Doesn't Solve the Problem

What I've learned is that the presenting problem is often the tip of the iceberg, or just a tiny piece of the problem.

In this crazy-busy world of bosses who say, "Don’t bring me problems! Bring me solutions!" it’s tempting to address any problem by jumping toward the first obvious answer. Unfortunately, that quick answer often won’t solve your problem. I recently learned the hard way that if you don't spend enough time analyzing the problem, your solution will likely cost you time and money — and maybe, some credibility.

I was meeting with a colleague about travel policy issues. We had recently been stung by some last minute scheduling changes that cost us a bundle in airline cancellation fees. My immediate reaction was to create a policy that required our folks to purchase fully refundable airline tickets. That way, when a cancellation was required, voila! No cancellation fee! Problem solved, right?

What was I thinking? In fact, I wasn’t. I was being expeditious, but not thoughtful. The protest phone calls and emails from our travelling consultant group started almost immediately. They were mostly gracious, asking if I had thought through the price implications of that decision. If I had, I might have noticed this "solution" would cost the company in the tens of thousands of dollars annually! It was only a matter of days before I had to put out a mea culpa message rescinding my mandate.

This problem-solving "problem" is not limited to my professional life. Not long ago, I moved into a new house. I perceived this house’s shortage of closet space as a big problem. My initial thought was to buy new dressers or an armoire. Then a friend dropped by and took a look at what I was unpacking. She held up a few articles of clothing that I’d purchased circa 1979 and asked, "When is the last time you wore these?" It was in that moment that I realized my issue wasn’t my closet deficiency: it was my sentimentality. That problem begged for a different solution. I allowed myself to keep some of the old clothes (yes, I got rid of the polyester lime-green Nehru jacket), but instead of buying furniture to store them in, I got some clear storage containers that I could stack in my basement.

What I've learned is that the presenting problem is often the tip of the iceberg, or just a tiny piece of the problem. You need to dig beneath the surface and spend a significant amount of time analyzing the problem (often hearing others' perceptions of the problem) before you move to solve it. We call this "spending some time in problem space."

I highly recommend this approach: you’ll save time, money — and face!