Lesson 8.3
Solve the Actual Problem, Not Your First Assumption
Estimated time: 7 minutes
Before solving a problem, make sure you understand what the problem actually is.
Scenario
A customer says:
“My package didn’t arrive.”
An employee immediately says:
“The driver must have forgotten it.”
But nobody has checked:
- whether the package left the business
- whether the address was correct
- whether delivery was attempted
- whether the customer missed a call
- whether the package was sent with another driver
The employee has moved from:
problem
to
blame
without gathering facts.
Use a Simple Question
What do we know?
Then:
What are we assuming?
Example
Known:
The customer has not received the package.
Not yet known:
Why.
That distinction matters.
Ask Enough Questions
Depending on the situation:
- What happened?
- When?
- What should have happened?
- What information do we have?
- What information is missing?
- Has anyone already acted?
- Who is affected?
You do not need a full investigation for every small problem.
But you need enough understanding to avoid confidently solving the wrong thing.
Remember
A fast answer to the wrong problem is still the wrong answer.