Sometime in the mid-twentieth century, as high-rise buildings sprung up around New York, several of the occupants of one multistoried office began complaining about the long elevator waiting times. [1]
An engineering firm that specialized in elevator system designs and operations was hired to assess the problem, but their findings were bleak. Due to the age of the building, no fix with economically viable.
To brainstorm a feasible solution, the building manager called a meeting of his staff, which included a young, recently hired psychology graduate.
When asked for his input, the graduate reasoned that the occupants’ complaints weren’t a result of elevator waiting times, but rather, a result of boredom. Furthermore, he suggested that if mirrors were installed in the elevator lobbies, rather than a costly refurbishment, the occupants would have something pleasant to do.
The building manager took the graduate up on his suggestion, and to his surprise, the complaints about waiting stopped overnight.
And that, kids, is why elevators and waiting areas have mirrors.
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My son recently developed a nasty rash. Concerned for his well-being, my wife and I called the doctor, who, after a few questions, confirmed what we first suspected ourselves: he had eczema.
We tried several over the counter and prescription creams, but despite a marginal improvement, the rash remained. After a conversation with a friend, however, it occurred to us that it might not have been eczema after all, but rather, an allergic reaction.
So, as per another doctor’s suggestion, we ran an experiment and slowly cut gluten from his diet. The result? Within a few days, the rash cleared up and hasn’t returned. The problem was not the problem; the problem was the result of another, unforeseen problem.
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All too often, we assume the cause of a problem. We blame poor work performance on a lack of sleep when a lack of exercise is the real culprit. Or we misdiagnose a health issue, as was the case with the above personal example.
While taking action has its place, it’s important not to solve problems until we know we’re dealing with the right issue. A technique like The Five Whys can help, but often, we need to go above and beyond and think outside the box to uncover the real culprit.
To quote Chip and Dan Heath in, Switch: How to Change When Change Is Hard, “What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem.” [2]
Oftentimes, the problem is not the problem.
Footnotes
[2] Switch: How to Change When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.