Most organizations don’t have a problem-solving problem—they have a problem-finding problem.

They jump to solutions too quickly, fixing what’s visible. Then they wonder why the same problems keep coming back.

The online publication, Think Daily, recently posed a simple, revealing chain of questions that gets at the “root” of that quandary:

• What's the problem?

• What problem caused the problem?

• What problem caused that problem?

• Solve that first.

That’s root cause analysis in a nutshell – and it’s not just reserved for experts. It’s a powerful tool that can energize routine, team-based improvement processes. When teams meet regularly to review performance and dig into the stories behind the numbers to identify improvements, they shift from treating symptoms to uncovering underlying causes.

And here’s the key: It’s the people closest to the work who are closest to the root causes – not their managers and supervisors.

Research from top-performing companies shows that frontline involvement in problem-solving leads to more accurate diagnosis, better solutions, and stronger ownership. Gallup has similar data showing that employees who feel heard and involved in processes for improving performance are significantly more engaged and more productive.

If you want to get your team drilling down to the root of your problems and eliminating them for good … Let’s talk.

Begin your improvement journey today!

Getting better at getting better.