Too Fast to Be Right
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve been so very guilty of this one.
A problem comes up, and before anyone has really defined the problem, I’m already tossing out fixes. Many leaders do the same.
That’s because the skill that got many of us into leadership roles is problem solving. We’re rewarded for being quick with answers, confident in our recommendations, and decisive under pressure. The instinct is useful, but it also creates a trap.
The moment a suggested solution hits the table, people pile on. Options multiply. Debates fire up. Pretty soon you’ve got a full menu of alternatives, but very little clarity on whether any of them fit the situation.
What usually gets skipped is the boring alignment on the fundamentals:
What’s the actual problem?
What would a good outcome look like?
What criteria must every solution satisfy?
Without that frame, teams burn cycles solving the wrong thing. Or worse, they move forward under the illusion of agreement, only to realize later that success meant something different to each person. That’s when frustration, rework, and blame start creeping in.
The discipline is slowing down to create the frame before anyone starts building solutions:
Define the problem. Say out loud what’s broken, missing, or at risk. Be clear on the facts. Don’t assume it’s obvious.
Set the objectives. Establish what matters most. Define what success looks like. These are the guardrails.
Then explore options. With the problem and objectives clear, you can test solutions against a shared standard.
This doesn’t need to make meetings longer. In fact, it often shortens them (and makes them less frustrating). Once objectives are explicit, weak ideas drop out on their own. Stronger ones rise quickly. The debate gets sharper, faster, and less personal because you’re judging against agreed criteria instead of opinions.
The real challenge isn’t generating ideas. Most teams have more of those than they can possibly pursue. The challenge is resisting the urge to jump to them before you’ve earned the right.
