The Mike Muldoon Podcast: Bite-Sized Coaching Sessions Empowering Transformation in Small Doses

Problem Solving vs. Problem Finding: The Hidden Skill

• MIKE MULDOON • Season 4 • Episode 9

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Have you ever tackled a problem only to discover you've addressed the wrong issue? Today, we're diving into the transformative mindset shift from problem-solving to problem-finding, focusing on exploring the real root causes of our challenges. In fast-paced environments, jumping straight to solutions can be all too tempting, but without identifying the true underlying problems, we often find ourselves back where we started. 

During this episode, we explore various scenarios in daily life, including workplace situations and personal relationships, illustrating how focusing on symptoms can lead to continued frustrations. From the need of better communication in teams to the hidden dynamics in our relationships, there’s always more beneath the surface to uncover. 

Make sure to subscribe for more engaging discussions, and share your experiences or questions with us!


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Speaker 1:

Hey all thank you for joining me this week on the Michael Newton Podcast. Hope you're doing well, hope everything's going well. You know it's really nice. The days are getting longer, which is lovely. It's getting a little warmer out. I even saw the sun in the sky today. You know, for my listeners who aren't here in England, it's usually cloudy. Believe me, when that sun is out there and you got that blue sky, you really feel it, you really notice it. So that's really nice. You know spring is here or it's getting here, and that's really great. But anyway, I want to talk about something. I've talked about this quite a bit in the past, about my podcast.

Speaker 1:

You know what is the why behind the why and really why? We want to make sure that when we're looking at problems or trying to solve problems, that we actually go from more of a problem solving mindset to more of a problem finding mindset, really again finding the why behind the why. So basically, when tackling a problem, the real challenge isn't just solving it right, it's finding the right problem to solve in the first place. See, too often we jump straight to solutions without fully understanding the root cause of the problem or the thing that's causing a challenge in our lives. But when we shift our focus to identifying the real issue first, we set ourselves up to make smarter, more effective decisions, and that's what we're going to talk about today. We've all been taught to be a problem solver. It's a skill we're taught from a very early age. Right, you see a problem, fix it and move on. But what if that approach is flawed? What if the real key to success, creativity and smarter decision making isn't about solving problems, but finding the right problems to solve in the first place? You know, the shift in thinking from problem solving to problem finding can really be a game changer in your life because instead of reacting to issues as they appear, we learn to dig deeper, uncovering the real challenges beneath the surface, again, the why behind the why. And once we find the right problem, the solutions become far more effective. See, most people approach life reactively. Something goes wrong and they jump straight into the solution mode without questioning whether they're addressing the true issue.

Speaker 1:

Problem finding is about stepping back, questioning assumptions and ensuring you're tackling the root cause of the problem, not just the symptoms. It's the difference between putting out fires and preventing the fire in the first place. So, for instance, imagine waking up exhausted every morning, right, I think a lot of us can relate to this, right. So your instinct might be to solve the problem by drinking coffee. Right, having more and more coffee. But what if the real issue isn't caffeine? What about if, again, the lack of caffeine isn't your issue? Maybe you're going to bed too late, maybe your stress levels are keeping you up, maybe your diet or lack of exercise is draining your energy. If you only focus on the quick fix, which, of course, is that coffee or those few cups of coffee, instead of the real problem sleep, stress, health you'll just be stuck in an endless cycle problems I'm tired, have coffee and wanting to solve the why you're there, which would give you a long, lasting, more effective way of doing so, of solving your problems. So, again, when you jump straight into problem solving without taking the time to find the right problem, this could lead to frustration. You think you fix things, but then the same issues keep coming back.

Speaker 1:

You know, consider some of these. You know real life scenarios. Maybe I'm at work. You know if you're a manager, right, you know if you've ever led teams before. You're thinking maybe your team isn't productive, so you assume they need more motivation.

Speaker 1:

But the real issue just might be unclear communication. Or maybe somebody struggles in relationships. You know or you're in a relationship. This is one right. You know anybody. But the real problem is more about it's not about the chore, it's about feeling unappreciated, right? I mean, let's be honest, a lot of times in relationships the argument isn't really about what the argument is. You know, she's really not upset that you didn't take out the trash, she's just more upset that you haven't been giving her attention, you haven't been around or whatever. It is right, you know. Even look at your own personal growth. You know, even look at your own personal growth. You know you think, oh, I really need more discipline in my life, but in reality you just need better systems that make things easier.

Speaker 1:

So the thing is, if you misdiagnose the problem, any solution you apply will be temporary or, even worse, completely ineffective. I mean, one of the best examples of this problem solving versus problem finding dilemma is really in the medical industry. Right? Doctors and pharmaceutical companies often focus on treating the symptoms of a condition rather than addressing the root cause. Right? So you have high blood pressure.

Speaker 1:

So if a patient has high blood pressure, the standard approach is to prescribe a blood pressure medication to lower it. But why does the patient have high blood pressure in the first place? Is it due to obesity? Is it due to chronic stress, poor sleep? Is it due to a diet high in processed foods and sodium? Is it caused by lack of exercise? If the root cause isn't addressed, the medication is simply just treating the symptom, not solving the problem. So the patient, you know the person, they just remain dependent on medication, their overall health doesn't improve and the real issue remains unsolved. So what you really want to do is encourage a problem finding approach, which you know would involve again, if you're somebody who's a medical clinician encouraging lifestyle changes. You know, eating healthier, doing exercise If it's a stress related, addressing stress management and getting better sleep habits.

Speaker 1:

You know the doctor might want to educate patients on long-term health risks beyond just the, you know, having the high blood pressure. Again, we see this all the time in the medical. It's all about treating the symptom but not the root cause. So the thing is, when you shift from treating symptoms to finding the real cause, this could lead to better long-term outcomes instead of just managing the problem indefinitely in their thinking, in their stress, how it all manifests in the body. So a lot of people talk about like, oh, I've got really bad back pain. Well, that back pain is actually coming from stress or whatever else is going in our lives. It's just being manifested in their body in terms of I have a sore back. So what do they do? They take a lot of ibuprofen. They really throw it at the back, thinking that's solving the problem. But they're not solving the problem because they haven't fixed the real issue which could be controlling that stress or whatever is bothering them on a more of a, on a mental level than and it's just manifesting in a physical, chronic pain, diabetes, mental health and you know, countless other medical conditions.

Speaker 1:

The real question should always be why is this happening, instead of how do we just make it go away? So how do we train ourselves to identify the real problem before rushing to solve it? Well, there's some really simple strategies, and one of them is just ask why five times. This was a technique that actually comes from Toyota. It was actually developed back in the 1940s or 50s, around the time to really increase efficiency and eliminate and promote continuous improvement in the designs and manufacturing.

Speaker 1:

But what happens is when you ask the why five times. It helps you dig deeper into the issue. Right? So let's just say you're somebody, right now you're suffering from, you just hate your job. Right, let's just use that one. I hate my job, well, why? And that answer might be well, because I feel like I'm not valued. And then, okay, well, why? Because my boss never gives me feedback. Okay, why, because I've never asked for it. Why Because you or me assume feedback only happens when something is wrong? Why Because I was never taught to ask for feedback proactively, right?

Speaker 1:

So now, instead of, you know, quitting my job or you quitting your job, the real solution might be to start requesting feedback and improving your communication. What you didn't have is that you the situation that you hate your job. You just have a problem with communication, you know. And from there you might want to just kind of start reframing your questions a little bit, right, like, instead of how do I fix this, try this, what is really causing the issue? What assumptions am I making? That's a big one. A lot of times, people are making assumptions about things. They don't want to talk to me, they don't want to work with me, they don't want to see me succeed, they don't want this, they don't want that, without actually getting the facts. What would this look like from another perspective? See, by shifting the question, you see the problem differently, which often leads to better solutions. And slow down, just slow down, before reacting.

Speaker 1:

I know we live in this world that demands instant solutions or instant solutions, solutions, solutions. We have a world of instant solutions. We live in a world that demands instant solutions, but taking time to pause, reflect and just analyze right can lead to smarter decisions. You know, if you're facing a tough decision or a tough situation, you know, maybe take a day before making that decision. Um, some people journaling.

Speaker 1:

I've never really been a journaler. I can't, I can't, I the minute I have to. It's funny cause, as a writer I have no problems writing, but the minute I have to sit down and like do a journaling or something, it's like I just I go blank. You know, so it's not for me, but maybe you're somebody who likes that Something's. Just writing things down makes a hidden pattern, sort of you know, appear. I would also just always say ask for some outside perspective. A friend or a mentor might, you know, see the real problem that you're missing, and that's the other challenge. A lot of times we don't see it, but all the people see it. So the thing is, you know. So, applying this to everyday life, it's going to help you sort of shift perspective and it's going to improve, basically, different areas of your life.

Speaker 1:

So again at work. Instead of assuming your team is lazy, you're going to dig deeper and are they confused about their roles? Are processes unclear? Are they burned out Again in your relationships? Instead of arguing about the little things, ask what's really going on here. Is it about trust, feeling valued communication styles? Little things, ask what's really going on here. Is it about trust, feeling valued communication styles? You know? Again, for your personal growth, instead of blaming yourself for a lack of motivation, find the real blockers. Are your goals too vague? Do you lack structure? Do you need accountability? You know? Are you just again solving the wrong problems? Most of us spend our lives solving problems and ever questioning whether they're the right problems to solve.

Speaker 1:

Again, getting back to the why behind, why we do what we do right. If you ask somebody why they act this way, they might tell you. But realistically, you know, why are you acting this way? I'm mad Okay, got that, but why are you reacting so mad at something that wasn't. It was very trivial. There's really no reason for your reaction. Well, the why behind that could simply be that in the past you felt undervalued or somebody ridiculed you, or goes back to your childhood, and that is the true why. And if you fix that back there, your reaction over here wouldn't be as excessive.

Speaker 1:

So the minute you really shift your mindset, when you just stop rushing into solutions of okay, I know what the problem is, fix it and just start finding the real issues, everything changes. So the next time you face a challenge, just take a few minutes before reacting and ask is this the real problem? What's maybe going on underneath? What's maybe going on underneath? You know what's a better way to approach this? Try it.

Speaker 1:

I think you're going to be really surprised how often a real problem is something entirely different than what you first assumed. And the interesting thing is you might start seeing it in other people somebody who overly reacts to something excessive, or their behavior is a certain way, and you'll start seeing it because this what they're saying right now. This isn't the problem. There's something else and obviously you know it's a very delicate matter to go. Look, I understand what's going on here, but what's going on isn't really a problem. You haven't know, you don't want to tell them, but it might actually help you relate to people better so that you don't get reactive to the way they have reacted to you or came at you about something, because you'll understand what's going on here has nothing to do with what's really going on. This person has something else really going on. But for yourself again, stop ask yourself some questions, dig in and try to find the real root cause, because when you solve the real problem, then everything else fixes itself.

Speaker 1:

All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me this week. As always, I will always appreciate you listening and being here with me on this journey. I'm trying to get a little bit better with the social media. I'm just not very good at it. So you know, please share it with your friends, your family, anybody who might need some help. I see an uptick in listeners every week, so that's kind of nice.

Speaker 1:

But you know, appreciate that my book's out Five Basic Keys Living Successfully in Between, written by me, mike Muldoon. You can always get it on Amazon. Love to hear your feedback on that, love to hear your views on that. And if you're new to this podcast. I try to keep them fairly short. This actually might be one of the longer ones, might be a little bit longer today, but I try to do that because you know it's for you to get in the car and it's on your commute and you can just listen to it real quick and get something for you that you can take into your weekend and into your following week.

Speaker 1:

But I share it with a friend and, um, you know, hit that subscribe button and leave comments, leave reviews. I'd love to hear it. You know it's all about uh getting better, so if there's something we're missing here, I'd love to hear about it. And uh, as always, I appreciate you. I wish you had a great rest of your uh. Well, it's friday. I will have you a great rest of your day and, as always, be safe on the weekend. And uh, I got another. We'll see you next time.

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