A theme kept coming up in several of my coaching conversations recently. Different businesses, different people, and different situations, yet they all seemed to share a similar complaint: poor communication.
People weren’t on the same page. Conversations were going in circles, decisions weren’t getting made, and frustration was starting to build.
When we dug deeper into each situation, however, I realized something: They didn’t actually have a communication issue. They had a problem definition issue.
The people involved were not trying to solve the same problem, and they didn’t even realize it.
Are You Discussing the Problem or a Solution?
Here is a simple example.
Imagine someone on your team walks into your office and says:
“We need to hire another person for my department.”
It is easy to immediately jump into discussing whether you can afford another employee, what position is needed, or how quickly you can start recruiting. But there’s a massive flaw with that conversation.
“We need to hire another person” isn’t a problem; it’s a proposed solution to a problem.
Before discussing the solution, you need to pause and ask a much more important question: What problem are we actually trying to solve? Why do we need somebody?
- Is there really too much workload?
- Are your internal processes inefficient?
- Is a team member underperforming?
- Are people focused on the wrong priorities?
- Is this just a temporary spike in demand?
- Is work not being delegated appropriately?
Each of those issues requires a completely different remedy. If you immediately start debating whether to hire someone, you risk spending a tremendous amount of time and energy taking the wrong action.
What Happens When Smart People Disagree
This is where many team frustrations can start.
Two smart people can argue passionately about the right answer, making perfectly logical arguments on both sides. Why? Because they are answering different questions.
- One person is trying to solve a capacity issue.
- Another is trying to fix a productivity problem.
- A third is worried about profitability.
They are all discussing hiring, but they aren’t having the same conversation. Better communication tactics alone won’t fix that. First, everyone must agree on the actual problem they are trying to solve.
The Role of Leadership: Asking the Right Questions
One of the most vital jobs of a leader isn’t having all the answers, it’s ensuring your team is asking the right questions.
When someone brings you a problem, or a solution disguised as a problem, resist the temptation to jump straight into problem-solving mode. Slow the conversation down long enough to gain true clarity.
Here are three questions to ask:
- What problem are we actually trying to solve here? Separate the underlying problem from the proposed solution.
- How do we know that’s the real problem? What facts, numbers, or observations support our conclusion? Are we looking at a root cause or just a surface symptom?
- What would success look like when we solve it? Get clear on the desired outcome before deciding how to achieve it.
Once everyone agrees on those three things, then you can start talking about solutions. You’ll be surprised by how much smoother and easier that conversation becomes.
Don’t Move Fast in the Wrong Direction
As leaders, we often feel immense pressure to help our teams reach decisions quickly. But a fast answer to the wrong question doesn’t help anyone.
The next time a meeting starts going in circles, two people can’t agree on a solution, or frustration starts rising: Don’t push for a quick decision.
Stop the conversation and ask:
“Remind me again, what problem are we actually trying to solve?”
Your team’s ability to solve problems isn’t just determined by the quality of their answers; it starts with the quality of the questions they ask. Sometimes, the most valuable thing a leader can do isn’t providing the answer, but making sure everyone is focused on the right problem.
Author: Mark McNulty, Business Coach in Louisville, KY