What problem are you trying to solve?

Do not underestimate the power of this seemingly simple question.

I recently worked with a colleague, who will remain nameless, that constantly asked the same question in EVERY meeting and in EVERY conversation.

“What problem are you trying to solve”

The question itself would frustrate the hell out of me but after a while, I started to see the benefits of this challenging question.

More often than not, people naturally move to find a solution without having really stepped back and found the true problem that needs to be solved. In some extreme cases, after the said question was asked, we realised that the problem we were racing to find a solution for wasn’t really a problem in the first place.

So here’s my challenge for you for the new year. Start to ask this question more, it might feel a bit uncomfortable to start with but it will be beneficial in the long run.

“What problem are you trying to solve”

The better you understand the problem, the better your solution will be.