Understanding a problem, as an eleven-year-old boy would do.

?I am the father of three boys, devoted sports fans and highly energetic boys which spend most of their afternoons at sports practices. Loud conversations, childish competition and noisy arguing are usual guests in our daily meals, during our usual commute or let’s say, almost every time we get together.

Their behavior is shifting, their social dynamics are evolving - to my naive surprise - and the age difference amongst them is getting more evident day by day. Specially the age difference between the oldest one, 16 years old, and the youngest one who just turned 11; one is a teenager, and the other one is still our little boy, or at least, that’s what we tend to believe.

Curiosity is one of the skills that is changing in our sons as they grow up. For instance, a few days ago, our little boy Jorge Emilio was evidently intrigued by a conversation we were having about his brother, who fell on his back while playing football in a 7v7 tournament. As we continued the conversation, I noticed he kept asking several questions about the stressful event while his facial expression remained focused and serious, showing he was still confused and concerned at the same time. He can’t help it; his eyes always give him away.

So, there I was, listening to a little boy who was pouring questions, one after another. He didn’t really care about interrupting us or the volume of his voice; he was determined to get the answers he needed no matter what. The following are the questions he shared with us in the exact same order:?

1.????What happened to my brother?

2.????Where was he?

3.????Where were you?

4.????Did he fall or somebody made him fall?

5.????Did he catch the ball?

6.????Was he hurt?

7.????Did he feel any pain?

8.????What did the coach do?

9.????Was my brother able to continue playing or was he taken out of the field?

10.?Did someone check on him?

11.?What did you do?

12.?Why are you concerned about my brother?

13.?Do you need to take him to a doctor?

14.?How do you know if my brother is still injured?

15.?What are you going to do now?

As I listened to him, I started to feel a bit cornered, uncomfortable, and even irritated. The number of questions and the sharpness of my son made me feel as if we were on trial and I was being questioned by the judge. I must say that this was not the first time I’ve been in this position, however, the difference was that my attention was fixed on my son’s health and wellbeing.

That night, as I went to bed, I realized that the only thing my little boy was trying to do was very simple; to understand the reason why I was so concerned about his brother. He did not want to understand what happened to his brother, he did not want to understand if he broke his back or if his team won the game: he was relentlessly interested on my concern and wanted to get to the bottom of it.?A very simple task, right? I don’t think so. Getting to the bottom of a problem or understanding the root cause of it – as commonly called in the corporate world – requires curiosity, observation, listening, and good questions. The right questions.

We face problems every day, and we need to find solutions as fast as we can, or at least, that’s what we like to think or feel. The tension generated by the presence of a deadline often forces us to skip the single most important step when looking for a solution, which is to understand the real problem we need to solve. There is a decent number of conferences, articles and talks focused on problem solving techniques but I believe there is need to have some basic tools and methodologies on how to identify and define a problem in the first place. It sounds obvious and extremely basic, but believe me, it’s not.?

In my previous role as leader of a Company, we systematically hosted leadership meetings where our team members were encouraged to join and present problems or opportunities which required a decision, support, or guidance. Some of them were simple and straightforward problems but others were far more complicated, unexpected, and unclear. At these meetings, we used to ask a lot of questions with the objective of having a clear definition of what the real problem was. Sometimes we were able to agree on the real problem in the same meeting, sometimes we needed more information to better define the problem. Once we reached clarity on what the real problem was point, we could all focus on discussing potential solutions, decisions to be made and next steps required. It’s not an easy task I can tell you that; the rush, urgency and the need to move fast is a force that pushes us to make conclusions, provide solutions and try to move on – as fast as you can - even when you are not entirely sure if everyone is clear on what the real problem is.

My son’s curiosity expressed in the form of questions made me think about a similar list of basic questions we used to ask when a team member came to request support to solve a problem:

1.????What is the problem you are trying to solve?

Same as when you are sick and pay a visit to the doctor. Before providing a treatment, the doctor needs to have 100% clarity of the illness you are experiencing. A thorough diagnostic is often required to get to this level of understanding.

2.????Have you faced a similar problem in the past?

This question seems to be a waste of time, especially when the problem seems to be serious and needs immediate action. Remember, there is always someone inside your company who has experienced a similar problem in the past and might have some learnings to help avoid wasting time and money.?

3.????What would happen if you don’t find a solution to your problem?

Understanding the potential consequences of a problem could lead to uncovering potential root causes or even solutions.

4.????Is there a deadline when the problem needs to be solved?

Deadlines are necessary but need to be realistic, clear, and understood by all people involved in the problem. It is common to find deadlines that are unknown by some team members, unclear, or ever changing. As leader, you have the responsibility to enable your team members to set deadlines that are based on clear business reasons, logical and realistic. Some deadlines are set by leaders, some others must be set by team members.

5.????What will be the benefits of solving the problem?

I have found this question to be an insightful one, but a very difficult one too. Sometimes, people do not understand what success will look like when the problem is solved. If this is the case, it’s most likely that the problem is not clearly defined, or it doesn’t even exist. Make sure you and your team know what the benefits will be once the problem is solved and define some metrics around it.?

6.????Do you have the necessary resources to find the solution?

Resource allocation is one of the most strategic tasks in any Company. Asking this question is tricky, since common belief have demonstrated that people will ask for extra resources whenever they have the opportunity to do so. In my experience, however, I have found that this question may be an effective way to find your key talent within your company.

7.????How can I best support you to find the solution?

Support is always appreciated. However, you need to make sure the difference between support and “taking over” is crystal clear. It is always helpful to provide some examples of what support really means to avoid any confusion. I have found this question to be useful on providing some relief to your team members and to open an effective communication channel.

8.????What are you going to do now?

These words are a proven powerful way to kick-off accountability and help people to take ownership and action, now. More than a question, it’s a provocation.?

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I have the privilege of having a little boy at home who constantly reminds me that curiosity is an important skill I must not lose. It’s one of the most powerful skills to continue learning, growing, and succeeding. There are no doors curiosity cannot open or knowledge curiosity cannot obtain. So, my question to you now is… how curious are you willing to be?