Drinking From the Fire Hose of Challenges & How to Fix It

Ever felt in your work like there were more problems around than problem solvers could actually tend to? Maybe you’ve been there, maybe you’re currently there.

An environment where problems repeat themselves, cascade and then effect other things that also show up as problems. It can feel like drinking from a problem fire hose!

It is a very common occurrence in today’s business environment (especially in Covid times), can be exhausting and can often lead to burn out.

As leaders, we need to know that there is a way forward, a path to tread that can take us and our teams to a better place.

That path is one of maturity in Continuous Improvement and can be divided up into 4 main stages.

The first stage, seen below, is the Un-organised Stage. At this stage, the continuous improvement of processes, standards and ways of working may happen here and there, but is not organised in a coherent way.

Key hallmarks of this stage at its fullest expression:

• There are continuously more problems than problem solvers can actually tend to (not just every once and a while).
• Most problems that occur are not actually solved, just “patched up”.
• Short-term urgency always or nearly always trumps medium-to-long term importance.
• Problems often become crises. That classic moment where a deadline is fast approaching and a problem that was “patched up” 3 years ago (and long forgotten) rears its ugly head and suddenly “all hands on deck” in a heroic and exhausting effort to solve for it.

There is nothing good about being here. AND there is a way forward. Key things to focus on to move out of this stage:

• Assess what is most important to us as a team. What is our north star? What are we committed to? And, critically, are we all absolutely aligned around it?
• Together with the team, map the problem landscape. What is the macro view of that map? Where are the themes? What are the hot spots?
• Determine criteria, aligned with our north star, that will allow us to prioritise and bring out the most critical items whose root cause we will solve for first.
• Go and solve them.. to their root!

If you’re interested in reading more about what can be done do to address these challenges that we all face, you can download my white paper at not cost: Agility in Continuous Improvement. Beyond the firefighting – how leaders in Tech & Digital can have a freer schedule, less stress, and a happier and more engaged team.

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