9 out of 10 resolutions, as mentioned in last month's newsletter, fail before the end of January. If you can't stand proud and claim to be in the 10% who are still holding strong, perhaps it is a good opportunity to at least let the failed resolution bring some value. The crisis that the vast majority of resolutioners, and really, in a more broad sense, people in general face, is that of trying to treat the symptoms, rather than the root cause. Particularly precarious in business, this fundamental failure of logic leads to recurring issues, painful situations, and undue stress.
House M.D., a TV series from the early 2000s, focuses on following the brilliancy of Dr. Gregory House, Diagnostician, and his attempts to solve the mysteries behind each case-of-the-week's problems. Besides excellent entertainment value, the show emphasizes a part of medicine that is often not given enough due consideration: the cause of the condition. Parallel this with a common enough example in real life. The last time you had a headache, it is likely that you followed some routine to shake the pain, involving a pain killer, rubbing your temples, a hot bath, or a nap. The pain subsides, and life continues. In a small, isolated incident such as this, it hardly warrants the time to diagnose the cause. As the incidents repeat, however, it would be illogical to continue to follow the same treatment course of action, and never investigate further into the cause. The show does not stop there however. A patient with recurring headaches might be diagnosed with cancer, but House (typically) goes that extra step in solving his puzzle, and even determines the cause of the cause. The headaches caused by the cancer were caused by a radioactive trinket that the patient kept as a souvenir from his trip around the world.
What about in business? The same analogy would, one might think, highlight the obvious need to dedicate the time to investigating the source and cause of issues, and then dive deeper into the causes of the causes. The secret is to utilize the methodology known as "The 5 Whys". Asking why something happened a single time is not sufficient to reach the root cause, and therefore is insufficient to be used to implement a solution. As an exercise in asking 5 Whys, imagine a busy restaurant that has many people waiting at the door, and many patrons who have completed their meals, and are waiting to leave, but have not yet. The floor manager asks a server why things are so backed up, to which the server replies that people are waiting to pay. If the floor manager is content with this answer, the wait continues, and the manager treats the symptoms with free appetizers, drinks, or discounts to placate the angry, hungry, waiting customers. Treating symptoms will never solve the root cause.
If the floor manager asks why again, to the server's response, the server might reply that there is only one terminal for credit cards, and so it is taking time to collect payment, even from customers who have their bills and are ready to leave. Again, if the floor manager is contented, the problem is unsolved, and the treatment is only to symptoms. If the manager asks why a third time, the server responds that the other terminal is broken. Why, the manager asks, and the server explains the shift from the night before said a customer dropped and broke it. Lastly, the manager asks why he was not informed, to which the server replies that the other shift leader was informed, as is the standard practice of the servers. Now, the floor manager can deal with the root cause of the problem, and alleviate symptoms that will not crop up again. A staff member who neglects his duties would have certainly presented other symptoms, hiding the true nature of the issue from management.
