When something isn’t working, the visible problem can be very convincing.
A project is behind.
A team isn’t communicating.
A process keeps breaking down.
A decision hasn’t been made.
Someone isn’t following through.
It is natural to start solving the thing we can see.
But sometimes the visible problem is only the symptom.
The more useful question is:
What is creating this problem in the first place?
Look One Layer Deeper
Imagine a project that keeps missing deadlines.
The immediate response might be to create a tighter timeline.
But what if the real issue is that the team doesn’t have the information it needs to begin?
Or a team keeps missing handoffs.
Maybe the problem isn’t effort. Maybe ownership between the teams was never clear.
Or leadership keeps getting pulled into the same decisions.
Maybe the problem isn’t that the decisions are difficult. Maybe the information reaching leadership isn’t being filtered or organized in a way that allows the decision to happen efficiently.
The visible problem gives you somewhere to start.
It doesn’t always tell you where to finish.
Ask What Creates the Problem
When I am trying to understand why something isn’t moving, I like to keep asking questions.
What is happening?
Why is it happening?
What has to be true for this to work?
What is missing?
Who is affected by it?
Where does the process break down?
What happens immediately before the problem appears?
The goal isn’t to overcomplicate something that may be simple.
It’s to make sure we’re solving the right problem.
Because solving the wrong problem well is still a problem.
The Difference Between Treating a Symptom and Understanding a System
This doesn’t mean every problem requires a deep investigation.
Sometimes the answer really is straightforward.
But when the same problem keeps returning, that’s usually a signal to look underneath it.
If the same communication breakdown happens repeatedly, there may be something structural underneath it.
If the same decision keeps coming back to the executive, there may be a gap in ownership or information flow.
If the same project keeps getting stuck at the same point, there may be a dependency no one has addressed.
The goal isn’t to create more process.
It’s to understand enough to see what is actually happening.
Start Where the Problem Is—Then Look Beneath It
Good problem-solving isn’t always about moving faster toward a solution.
Sometimes it’s about slowing down long enough to understand what you’re actually solving.
That small pause can change everything that comes after it.
Because when you solve the problem underneath the problem, you don’t just create movement.
You create a better path forward.
Thinking through something similar?
A short conversation is often enough to see what is happening and what would help most.