How to Solve Real Problems

I timed it yesterday: A leadership team spent 47 minutes "solving" the same issue they've tackled in every meeting for the past 4 months. Sound familiar? They identified symptoms, not causes. Everyone had opinions, few had solutions. They created action items no one completed. The problem returned, slightly repackaged. This isn't just inefficient. It's the silent killer of growing businesses. After implementing EOS with 500+ entrepreneurial companies over 15 years, I've found teams waste up to 68% of their meeting time on recurring issues that never get solved at the root. The difference between teams that solve issues once and teams stuck in the loop isn't intelligence. It's methodology. Enter the Issues Solving Track - the EOS tool that transforms how leadership teams attack problems: 1. IDENTIFY the real issue Most teams get this wrong. They discuss symptoms, not causes. Try this instead: → Write the issue as one clear sentence → Ask "Why is this happening?" three times → Determine if it's a people issue, process breakdown, or communication gap A manufacturing client kept "solving" quality problems until they properly identified the real issue: unclear quality standards, not lazy employees. 2. DISCUSS with discipline The discussion phase isn't: → A platform for the loudest voice → A place for tangents and war stories → A political positioning exercise It is: → A focused examination of relevant facts → A space for diverse perspectives → A way to challenge assumptions respectfully The best teams have a designated facilitator who keeps discussion on track and ensures every voice contributes. 3. SOLVE completely The only reason to discuss an issue is to solve it. When you've reached clarity, document: → A specific action step → One person accountable (not a department) → A concrete due date (not "ASAP" or "ongoing") Then move on. No revisiting. No second-guessing. A software company I work with was averaging 3.5 hours in weekly leadership meetings. After implementing the Issues Solving Track, they cut meeting time to 90 minutes while solving twice as many issues. The best businesses aren't the ones without problems. They're the ones that solve problems at the root. Want to implement the Issues Solving Track in your business? Use the process below 👇

Are You Solving the Right Problem? As leaders & professionals, we're often under pressure to act quickly when challenges arise. Our instinct—or perhaps muscle memory—is to dive straight into solution mode. But over the years, I've found that one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is: Are we solving the right problem? Consider the hybrid workforce. Organizations often roll out solutions like employee engagement activities, gift cards, virtual celebrations, enforcing video-on policies during calls, or hosting virtual team-building sessions. While these seem like good ideas, they may serve as quick fixes that don't address the real issue. So, what's the actual problem? ❓Is it a lack of engagement? ❓A drop in productivity? ❓Struggles with team cohesiveness? ❓Or could it be something deeper, like communication barriers? ❓Disconnect between leadership and employees? ❓Or even more fundamental issues like trust and culture? Getting to the heart of the problem is crucial. 🛠️ 3 Steps to Identify the Right Problem: Observe and Listen: Start by carefully observing the symptoms. What are the visible signs that something's not working? Gather data and listen to feedback from your team. This will help you understand the nature of the issue. Ask Deep Questions: Go beyond surface-level explanations. Use techniques like the "5 Whys" to dig into the root causes. If engagement is low, ask why—several times over—to uncover the core issue. The real problem often lies beneath the symptoms. Understand the Context: Consider the broader organizational environment, team dynamics, and culture. What seems like an issue in one area might be a symptom of a deeper problem elsewhere. Context is critical to accurate diagnosis. Once the right problem is identified, solving it effectively requires careful consideration. 💡 3 Considerations When Solving the Problem: Engage Multiple Perspectives: Involve diverse voices from across the organization. Different perspectives can reveal angles you might miss and lead to more robust solutions. Collaboration ensures broader acceptance and better outcomes. Resist the Quick Fix: It's tempting to go for quick solutions, but they often only address symptoms. Focus on sustainable solutions that tackle the root cause. This may take more time, but the long-term benefits are worth it. Reflect and Iterate: After implementing a solution, reflect on its impact. Did it address the problem effectively? Be prepared to iterate and adjust as needed. Continuous improvement is essential for long-term success. The most successful leaders don't just jump to solutions—they take the time to define the problem accurately. By doing so, they create a foundation for meaningful, lasting change. So, before you dive into solving what seems like an urgent issue, ask yourself: Am I truly solving the right problem? #Leadership #OrganizationalDevelopment #ProblemSolving #HybridWorkforce #Culture

We solve the wrong problems – and That is the Real Problem at Work   Many executives spend a large amount of their time firefighting. Often, they are trying to solve the right problem. The classic case is that of Kodak, which once dominated the photographic industry worldwide. It had pioneered digital technologies well before their competitors, yet the leadership wanted to stick to the legacy of inexpensive camera with expensive consumables (film and paper) for high margins. Kodak’s initial reluctance to embrace and commercialize its own digital inventions caused a rapid erosion of its market share. It launched competitive digital cameras late - in the 2000s. They tried to perfect their digital technology while losing money on the cameras sold. The real problem wasn't that they needed better digital cameras—it was that the business model had shifted from selling cameras to selling services and software. What is the lesson we can take? Before diving into any solution, invest some time asking "What problem am I really solving?" It is useful to have separate discussions on defining the problem first, and having identified it, then working on finding solutions. Ensure you are looking at the root cause and not the symptoms of the problem. Write down multiple versions of the problem statement. Brainstorm and iterate. Version one might be "Our team misses deadlines." Version two becomes "Our team receives unclear project requirements." Version three reveals "Our team lacks a standardized way to prioritize competing requests." This simple exercise stops you from building elaborate solutions for surface-level symptoms. It prevents you from becoming the person who automates a broken process instead of fixing it; or optimizes something that shouldn't exist. Pick your biggest work challenge. Check whether you have defined problem statement correctly. You'll find yourself solving the root cause instead of chasing endless symptoms.   Picking the right problem leads to simpler solutions. Would love to hear your experience where you had to redefine your problem statement. 

𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. —𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸; 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙯𝙯𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙋𝙍. When I face an overwhelming problem—the kind that demands “bold visions” or “massive refactors”—I stop. Instead, I ask: What’s the smallest meaningful unit in this chaos? (𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴.) Can I carve the monster into smaller, digestible creatures? What’s one piece I can fix today—without waiting for permission? This isn’t theory. It’s how I solve real SDV problems. 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (Multiple runtimes, domains, SoCs—a beast, until disassembled.) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗹: → Single source of truth for communication contracts. → IDLs that scale across runtimes and protocols (evaluate ruthlessly). → Protocol mapping — right tool for each path: - AUTOSAR → Performance Core: SOME/IP (stateful) or PDUs (deterministic) - Performance Core → Infotainment: gRPC over TCP/IP (reliable services), or UDP for low-latency streams - Intra-Performance Core: Shared Memory IPC (zero-copy, no serialization) → Data brokers? Only where unavoidable — and auto-generate them. → Software structure: isolate building blocks like a virologist. 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹: → Build reference platforms in parallel — virtual and real. - Virtual first: simulators/VMs to validate logic early - Hardware second: test timing, I/O, Layer 2 quirks → Never wait for full hardware. It’s expensive. And late. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 — 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. #SoftwareDefinedVehicle #SystemArchitecture #ShiftLeft #Middleware #EmbeddedSystems

Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice. But are you unknowingly doing this in your business right now? You might think: ➝ Spending more on marketing will fix your growth issue ➝ Hiring more people will solve your bandwidth problem ➝ More pizza parties will transform your company culture But how do you know you’re addressing the root cause—and not just a symptom? I’ll admit, I’ve made surface-level decisions before. But over time, I’ve learned: ➝ Making decisions without proper analysis is like taking a prescription without bloodwork. ➝ The real problem often lies 2–3 layers deeper than it seems. ➝ It takes time and diligence to uncover the root cause before jumping into solutions. As a consultant, much of my work with clients revolves around diagnosing the real problem first. Here’s how I ensure we’re tackling the right issues: 1. Ask questions—and a LOT of them. 2. Dig deep by repeatedly asking “Why?” Each answer informs the next question, peeling back layers to find the truth. 3. Spot patterns. Most problems aren’t isolated incidents—they’re recurring trends. 4. Bring in fresh perspectives. Sometimes you’re too close to see clearly. Outside input can reveal what you’re missing. 5. Map the problem visually. Tools like Miro or Lucidchart help untangle complex systems and identify bottlenecks. When you solve issues at their core, rather than masking symptoms, your business grows sustainably. What frameworks or strategies do you use to identify and address bottlenecks?

Imagine you're telling an acquaintance you're having a rough day. You start explaining: your job, your stress, the thing that happened this morning. Before you're even halfway through, they cut in: "Here’s what you should do." You smile. Nod politely. But you're not receiving it. Because they don't actually know what's going on yet. They heard the surface. They skipped to the surface-level response. That's drive-by solutioning. And it's how most nonprofits do strategy. Design thinking has a name for this: drive-by solutioning. It's when you skip empathy. Skip defining the real problem, and go straight to the answer. Our sector does this constantly. A community is struggling. We see it. We care about it. But if we're not careful, within 90 days we'll have a new program, a new initiative, a new set of flyers going up in the wrong places advertising the wrong message to the wrong people. This happens all. the. time. Great intention. Wrong solution. Why do we keep getting this wrong? Because we rarely stop long enough to actually ask which specific part of the problem we should be solving. Here's a better way. First: Empathize. Get close enough to the actual humans experiencing the problem that their reality changes yours. Second: Define. Separate the presenting problem from the real one. They are almost never the same. Third: Solve. Only now. With everything you just learned. Now let's say that acquaintance on the street had said: "Is that something you want to talk about?" And you said yes. And they asked a few more questions. And then they said, "I've experienced something like that before. Here's what worked for me — I don't know if it fits your situation, but..." You might have actually heard it. Same concept. Different sequence. Completely different outcome. At DC Design, this process is the core of our strategic planning process. We work with nonprofits to make sure we've defined the problem correctly. That takes a little more time, but it's infinitely more effective. We've learned that when you skip the empathy phase because you think you already know, you miss the most important information needed to solve the problem.

If you want to enhance your team’s dynamics and foster a productive work environment, investigate the core beliefs of your team members – and your own. Beliefs are the subconscious patterns that underpin our values, beliefs, decisions and actions.  When beliefs are aligned, collaboration flourishes, creativity thrives, and challenges become opportunities for growth. The best way to solve a problem is to investigate its cause. If you treat the symptom, your change efforts will most likely not stick. Take any topic, and explore its roots. There you will find  beliefs. Take any person, and explore the reasons for their behavior. Go deep enough, and you will find their beliefs.   All change begins with self-awareness.  When you ask, “What are my beliefs about that?”, you are beginning an important journey of expanded consciousness. Consider a problem you have now, and the solutions you’ve tried to solve it. Ask, “What do I believe about the problem?  What do I believe about the people involved?  What do I believe about my own role?  What do the other people believe about themselves, each other, and the problem?”  This reflection will open up your understanding of the true causes involved underneath the surface-level problem.  Those beliefs are driving everyone’s perceptions, decisions and reactions. There could be scores of conflicting and limiting beliefs at play.  Seeing them clearly will put you in the best position to solve the problem at its origin. It’s an inside-out approach rather than an outside-in solution (which rarely shifts the cause of the problem, so it reappears later in another guise).   When you understand that our beliefs create our perception of reality, you can investigate them with curiosity rather than judgement or blame. The next step is to encourage an open dialogue with your team, a shared exploration of everyone’s beliefs. [It’s a good idea to engage a neutral party, such as a trained facilitator.]  When you create a safe space for people to share their beliefs without fear, understanding deepens and compassion emerges. This practice uncovers diverse perspectives that will enrich team discussions, and builds trust among team members. Additionally, consider integrating regular check-ins focused on belief alignment. This could be a simple question during team meetings: "How do our personal beliefs align with this goal? Where do they interfere?" Such inquiries can keep everyone on the same page, and it reinforces a shared vision of what’s possible. By understanding and addressing core beliefs, you can significantly enhance team dynamics. I encourage you to reflect on your beliefs and engage your team in this vital conversation. _________________________ If you found this post valuable, please like it and share your thoughts in the comments. What beliefs have you found most impactful in your team dynamics? #TeamDynamics #CoreBeliefs #LeadershipDevelopment

Most startup founders rush to build a Minimum Viable Product before identifying a real problem. It’s like navigating without a compass. A product without a clearly defined problem is a collection of features waiting to fail. The real MVP is a Minimum Viable Problem Before you build, your mission is to define a tangible, validated, and meaningful problem for your target audience. Here are 3 proven methodologies to identify your Minimum Viable Problem: The Hiccup Method: Find where discomfort lives. Focus on pinpointing the exact moments where users feel frustration or friction. Ask specific, probing questions to uncover these pain points. When lasers revolutionized eye surgery, it wasn’t by chance. Innovators asked surgeons: “At what moment during surgery do you feel the most discomfort?” The answer? Of the entire procedure, one critical hiccup stood out: using a scalpel to remove a small piece of the cornea. By eliminating this step, laser technology transformed the process—and the market. The Hidden Resource Method: Turn what’s overlooked into value. Identify resources—physical, digital, or behavioral—that others ignore or underutilize. Airbnb: The hidden resource was unused living spaces. Uber: Idle drivers, unused cars, and smartphones with GPS. Both transformed “hidden resources” into massive opportunities for users and creators. The Change Lens Method: Leverage recent shifts. Spot opportunities by analyzing changes—cultural, technological, or behavioral—impacting the world around you. The shift to remote work didn’t invent new tools—it created new problems. Solutions like Zoom and Notion boomed by solving pain points triggered by this global change. Stop building products for the sake of it. Start by discovering the right problem to solve. The most impactful products aren’t created—they’re discovered by solving real, meaningful problems. Which methodology resonates most with you?

The problem you see… is rarely the real problem. That’s where the Iceberg Model comes in. In most organizations, what we react to are only the visible “events” — Defects, delays, customer complaints, machine breakdowns. But beneath the surface, much bigger forces are driving those events. ⸻ Here’s how the Iceberg Model works: 🔹 Events (What happened): Customer return due to defective product. 🔹 Patterns (What keeps happening): Recurring defects every month in production. 🔹 Systemic Structures (The process behind it): Lack of preventive maintenance, poor training, unclear inspection criteria. 🔹 Mental Models (Beliefs & assumptions): “We don’t have time for training.” “Inspection will catch any issue.” “Maintenance is too expensive.” ⸻ You can’t solve surface problems with surface actions. The deeper you go, the more leverage you have. Solving a single defect won’t change your plant. Changing how people think about prevention will. When was the last time you went below the waterline in your problem-solving?

Are you showing admiration for a problem? I listened to someone on the phone the other day, basically for the day, “admiring the problem”. If that whole 8 or so hours could have been spent on solution seeking, asking “what’s right with this?” the person and their team might be a little ahead. To move beyond this unproductive #mindset, here are some strategies people can adopt: 1. Reframe the Problem • Shift the focus from describing the problem to exploring opportunities for change. • Use solution-oriented language, such as “How might we…?” 2. Clarify the Desired Outcome • Define the goal or the ideal state you want to achieve. • Ask, “What does success look like?” 3. Break It Down • Deconstruct the problem into smaller, manageable pieces. • Address each part with specific actions. 4. Prioritize Action Over Analysis (Paralysis) • Set a time limit for discussing the problem, then transition to brainstorming solutions. • Encourage trying small, experimental solutions (e.g., prototyping in #designthinking). 5. Adopt a #Collaborative Approach • Engage diverse perspectives to generate ideas and build momentum. • Create an environment where everyone feels safe to contribute solutions. 6. Use Frameworks and Tools • Apply structured tools like root cause analysis, the 5 Whys, or SWOT analysis to understand and address the issue. • Visualize the path forward with a decision matrix or action plan. 7. #Empower Accountability • Assign ownership for tasks and follow up on progress. • Build systems that encourage responsibility, such as regular check-ins or deadlines. 8. Encourage a Bias Toward Experimentation • Shift from “getting it perfect” to “getting it started.” • View failures as learning opportunities. 9. Challenge Complacency • Ask tough questions to disrupt the cycle of inaction: • “What happens if we don’t solve this?” • “What’s one thing we could do right now to make progress?” 10. Leverage Emotional Intelligence • Identify emotional barriers, such as fear or frustration, that might keep people stuck. • Foster optimism and resilience in the face of challenges.