1 Thought:

Too often we find ourselves trying to solve problems and fix isolated issues. Depending on your role specifically it could be a near full time job.

I’m suggesting you stop reading for a moment and take a few minutes to right down a list of all the issues and problems you have fixed in the let’s say the last 2 weeks or a month. Don’t spend more than maybe 5 minutes.

Hoping you took the few minutes to make the list so we can take an actionable next step together. Using your list of fixed problems and challenges I now want you to categorize them by similarity and type.

My assumption, based on my experiences personally as well as working with others is that your list of how many ever “fixes” falls into 2, no more than 3 types of problems.

If I’m correct with my assumption, and I guarantee I am, then wouldn’t fixing the root cause of the issue be time better spent?

Lets name each of our columns and categories of like issues. Examples of category/ column names might read something like:

1. Service quality

2. Falling short of quota

3. HR problems

No way for me to guess what your specific issues are and what column names that they should be under but hoping you get the point. Even though we have now categorized them in to nice neat columns we are not done. We need to identify the root, the cause of the issues.

So lets look at our examples above and come up with a few hypothetical root causes and see how we might tackle them and eliminate these recurring time wasters.

1. Service Quality/ Low NPS Scores/ Returns, etc.
   • Is there a guide or handbook that’s published and shared that outlines specifically what “OUR COMPANIES” standards of excellence in service actually are?
   • If there is a handbook, are we as managers reinforcing it, leading by example, and making it part of our daily actions and teachings?
   • If there is no handbook for excellence, perhaps you are part of a smaller company; is it time to take the time and write one out?
   • Great service often requires a culture change.
2. Falling Short of Our Quota/ Not Hitting the Numbers
   • Is a winning mindset in place? Is the winning culture in place?
   • How often are we doing product, service, and sales training?Training isn’t just for the new guys.
   • Create belief. Are we just sharing the big goals with our teams or are we breaking the goals down to the month, week, and day…even tighter if you can? The smaller you make the goals the more they are believed.
   • Check out a prior post that helps break out 2 very different management styles that are both needed to run successful teams. https://afew-things.com/2025/04/16/2-winning-management-styles-which-one-are-you/
3. HR Problems (the worst)
   • Is an open door policy in place? Do those in our care understand that we as leaders are available to hear from them at any time.
   • Are we counting on common sense and good habits or are we being certain our teams know what is and what is not acceptable at work?

Getting to the root cause of our daily issues saves us time, often creates revenue, and prevents small issues growing into bigger issues if we take the time to fix them now.

Problems are rarely independent of each other; they are dynamic and complex. Tackle the root issue rather than surface problem.

1 Quote:

” There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”

– Henry David Thoreau

American essayist, poet, and philosopher

! Question:

Do you want to get your time back and start striking the root or would you prefer to be like the thousands of others that are daily spending their time simply hacking at the branches?

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