Most Problems Aren’t Problems. They Are Patterns.

I’m sitting here at my desk, staring at a slightly lukewarm cup of coffee (why does it always go cold the second I actually need it?), and I’m rubbing that specific spot between my eyebrows. You know the one. The “Corporate Stress Button.”

Sigh.

I was just looking at an issue that cropped up with a team project. It’s a standard issue. A missed deadline. A miscommunication. A “he-said-she-said” scenario. My knee-jerk reaction? Fix it. Jump in, play the hero, patch the hole, and move on. Dust off hands. Job done, right?

Wrong.

Because as I leaned back in my chair (which gave a menacing squeak, someone please remind me to get some WD-40), I had this sudden sense of déjà vu. I love this word, man!

Wait a minute. Didn’t we solve this exact same problem three months ago? And… scratches chin… didn’t we have a similar “crisis” last year with a different client?

See, what’s happening here is a clear case of… wait for it.. “Most problems aren’t actually problems. They’re patterns.”

If you’re constantly putting out fires, you’re not a firefighter. You’re just… well, you’re an arsonist’s favorite plaything.

The “One-Off” Lie

We tell ourselves little lies to feel better, don’t we? “Oh, it was just a bad week,” or “The vendor was just having an off day.”

Please. Who are we kidding?

If it happens once, it’s an accident. If it happens twice, it’s a coincidence. If it happens three times? That’s a pattern. That is a blinking neon sign screaming, “SYSTEM FAILURE HERE!”

It’s like… okay, imagine you keep tripping over the same rug in your hallway. Day 1: You trip. “Stupid rug,” you say. You straighten it out. Day 2: You trip. “Ugh, clumsy me.” You straighten it out. Day 3: You trip again.

At this point, my friend, the problem isn’t the rug. The problem isn’t your feet. The problem is that you keep walking the same path without rolling up the damn rug.

Digging for the Loop

At Ergode, when things break, I try (emphasis on try, because hey, I’m human) to stop looking at the wreckage and start looking at the road.

Recurring issues are usually behavioral loops. They are structural.

• Is the team missing deadlines because they are lazy? (Probably not).
• Or is it because our intake process is as clear as mud? (Bingo.)

It’s uncomfortable to admit that, though. Because fixing a pattern requires surgery. Fixing a problem just requires a Band-Aid. And let’s be honest, surgery is scary and expensive and requires you to be awake while someone pokes around your insides.

But you have to do it. You have to ask the annoying questions. “Why?” five times in a row until everyone in the room wants to throw their notepads at you.

So…

I’m standing up now to stretch my legs, and I’m looking at that cold coffee again.

I could just microwave it (the patch). Or, I could buy a thermal mug (fixing the pattern).

Next time you feel your blood pressure rising over a “problem,” take a beat. Close your eyes. Take a breath. Ask yourself: Have I been here before?

If the answer is yes, stop solving it. Break the loop instead.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a microwave. Some patterns are harder to break than others.

Cheers,
Rupesh