Stop Solving the Wrong Problem
Summary
Solving the wrong problem is risky: it wastes time, drains resources and can make things worse. Dan Rockwell (Leadership Freak) warns that quick help often addresses symptoms rather than root causes. He highlights a short, practical framework — ten diagnostic prompts — leaders can use to diagnose before prescribing solutions. The piece emphasises asking better questions, resisting assumptions and slowing down so help actually helps.
Key Points
- Jumping to help too quickly often means solving the wrong problem.
- Helping the wrong way can prolong pain or exacerbate issues.
- Assumptions are dangerous — ask what problem you are actually solving.
- Use diagnostic questions about goals, success criteria and behaviours before acting.
- Include the right partners and perspectives; broaden the conversation.
- Probe timing and triggers: when did the issue begin and what changed?
- Ask “Why” repeatedly to reach root causes rather than symptoms.
- Look for resistance or procrastination — it often points to hidden roots.
- Keep a solution orientation while diagnosing; don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis.
- Practical tactics: take a break, shift perspective, and verify assumptions before prescribing a fix.
Why should I read this?
Look — if you’re the person who dashes in with a fix and later wonders why things blew up, this is for you. The post is a short, punchy reminder to slow down, ask smarter questions and avoid costly, well-intentioned mistakes. Five minutes to read, saved hours (or weeks) of backtracking.
Source
Source: https://leadershipfreak.blog/2025/09/08/stop-solving-the-wrong-problem/
