Like a runny nose or a stomachache, we remove bothersome symptoms by taking a pill or using a heating pad. Yet, the problem, while masked, still exists. We’d rather accept a temporary solution than try and address the root cause. I recently launched an assignment in my business consulting class where students develop recommendations for a client’s business problems. I received a lot of questions about how to address symptoms such as social media issues when the real problem is related to the product. My response: “Be curious. Understand the situation and define the real problem first.”
How many times do we address the symptoms when we have yet to clearly understand the real problem? Maybe you want to buy a car to get to work when you haven’t fully explored other transportation options. Perhaps the problem isn’t the need for a new car, but the need to get to work. Maybe you plan to leave your current job for a new company without fully exploring alternate positions in the organization. Perhaps the problem isn’t finding a new job but learning additional job skills in a new role.
As an educator teaching college students, it’s my job to help our next generation exercise their curiosity. It’s my role to build a culture that encourages students to examine the real reasons they want to buy the car or switch jobs. Reflecting on real problems is when growth happened.
I’m Anissa Kuhar and that’s my perspective.
