It’s Broken Again. Good!
Example I: The Leaky Toilet
A toilet is leaking. Again. The seat is off, water is pooling, and the wrench isn’t helping. It’s tempting to patch it fast and move on, but when a fix doesn’t hold, it isn’t just frustrating. Rushing means missing the root cause.
Fast Fixes Often Miss the Root
Quick fixes target symptoms—the visible weak point. But repetition of a problem points to something deeper: a resource gap, a flawed process, tools that don’t match the task.
Slowing down is a necessary downshift to investigate the “why is it happening ” before getting to the “how do we fix it.” This pause allows you to bring in fresh eyes from different perspectives—people not fatigued by the history of the leak—to look at the problem. They should start with broad, open questions:
- What are the possible root causes?
- Has this happened before?
- Is the frequency increasing?
- Who needs to be involved to implement a fix that actually lasts?
Sales are Plunging–Let’s Figure This Out Together
Example II: Bridging the Gap: Sales, Accounting, Credit, and the P&L
Consider a classic corporate friction point: sales are sliding. Marketing wants loosen credit terms to drive demand, but credit says no because the risk is too high. Accounting is hovering, worried about budget exposure.
The leader knows that these departments are measured on entirely different scales. Credit prioritizes collections; Accounting prioritizes the bottom line and correct procedures; Marketing is chasing the top line and brand equity. This is a clash of priorities where everyone is “right” in their own silo, but the system is failing.
Rather than swooping in to “make the numbers,” a good leader steps in to facilitate a partnership. First, acknowledge the different departmental interests and priorities, but remind the team they are all assembled to solve a problem hurting everyone. Then ask them to work together focusing on causes and solutions. First start with investigation:
Sample Questions for the Strategic Pause:
- What is truly driving the decline? What has changed in the market?
- What assumptions are we making about our customers, and are they still correct?
- What constraints are we facing that we cannot control?
- What would a shared solution look like—one that drives sales while respecting the P&L?
These questions, backed by intentional patience, lead to a collective and correct diagnosis.
We agree! Let’s Try These Out!
A Fix Without Buy-In Isn’t a Fix
When one person “solves” a group problem solo, the solution rarely sticks. A patch applied over someone else’s skepticism tends to peel—not because people are difficult, but because they weren’t part of shaping it.
Real solutions require insight, cooperation, and ownership from those closest to the work. That takes more time up front, but it saves far more later. As the saying goes, you can’t choreograph a dance going full speed from the start.
When Speed is the Exception
Sometimes urgency is real—a client on the brink or a genuine cash flow crisis. Unexpected weather has wreaked havoc. In those moments, speed matters. But even then, the goal isn’t for the leader to take over; it is to remove obstacles so the right people can move quickly together.
What Slowing Down Looks Like:
- Assigning Ownership: Ask who should own the problem, rather than just doing it yourself.
- Signal Detection: Treat repeat issues as diagnostic signals for root causes.
- Early Inclusion: Bring the right people in early to build a solution they will actually maintain.
- Inquiry over Instruction: Ask what they need instead of telling them what to do.
Often the issue isn’t competence—it’s capacity, tools, or constraints no one namesout loud. By asking questions and critiquing the options, you build the team’s confidence in their own process.
Trust is Built in the Pause
When a leader always rushes in to “fix” things, others quietly step back. Why think deeply if someone else will always swoop in? Why own a solution you weren’t trusted to shape?
Slowing down creates the space for ownership. Ownership creates accountability. And accountability is the only thing that prevents the same problem from happening again. That is how the fix finally sticks.
Share your story: What is one recurring problem in your world that might be trying to tell you something?