“A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.”

“A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.” – Albert Einstein

We, as humans, have one big advantage, which is our ability to gather, grow, learn and share knowledge with the wider community through various mediums like books, blogs, websites, webinars, podcasts, e-portals, movies, documentaries, etc. This is a key reason why we are able to continuously evolve and thrive on this planet.

When we look at this from a business perspective, sharing what we have learned not only improves efficiency but it also makes the team deliver quicker. This, in turn, helps the organization to meet the defined goals and objectives in today’s fast-paced environment where speed and agility are not only a huge competitive differentiator but also have a transformational impact in the market place. 

So from an organization/function perspective, when a problem occurs, it is important not just to fix it as a one-off but deconstruct and analyse as to why it happened in the first place. For this, we may need to get into the nitty-gritty of the problem with an intent to figure out a permanent solution to ensure that the problem does not reoccur. Alongside, detailed documentation and dissemination of the same to the wider team is extremely important from an evolutionary improvement perspective. Hence, in this context, it is important to do what is right and not what is easy. If we do this systematically and consistently, it would help us to improve significantly.

We can use various tried and tested quality management frameworks like DMAIC (Define->Measure->Analyse->Improve->Control) to implement the same. It should start with a clear problem definition because if ambiguity creeps in right at the start, it becomes very difficult to proceed further. It may be a reactive problem statement in relation to something that already exists in the system or a possible chink in the armor. Following this, we need to measure the problem. It may seem attractive to “boil the ocean” in a single shot, however, we should focus on clearly defined and measurable micro-problems to make a macro-impact when fixed in conjunction. This contextualizes the plan of action. The next step is Analysis. We can use multiple methods like RCA (Root Cause Analysis), FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), etc to move towards improvement based on data. Once the improvements are in place, we should ensure that we Control and avoid the re-occurrence of the problem by a well-documented knowledge sharing mechanism.

When we implement this, not only do we improve and increase an organization’s profitability by increasing efficiency but we also ensure that the constant evolutionary spirit of humankind is upheld in its business manifestation, making an organization evolve and progress by being cognizant of its mistakes.

A good team would solve a problem one-off but a great team will avoid it by taking proactive measures and learning from past mistakes!