Edition #23: Are you solving the right problem?
Life’s a bit like a ladder. We climb diligently, rung by rung.
We face inclement weather, watch our muscles grow, and look up when it gets tough to remind ourselves of what’s waiting.
Imagine, after all those years, finally getting to the top!
Only to realize you set your ladder against the wrong building.
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
The Problem: Accepting the problem without questioning it
It’s one thing to identify a problem. It’s another thing to solve it. And it’s something else entirely to question the framework, rules, traditions, and expectations sitting behind the original problem.
If something isn’t working, it’s good to consider how to fix it:
I want to make more progress: if everyone else builds a five-year plan, I should probably build a five-year plan
I want to get promoted: if everyone else grows their career this way, I should probably do the same
I want to skate as well as people with two legs: if everyone else uses a skating boot, I should probably use a skating boot
But before diving straight into solution mode, it’s worth aggressively questioning the premise.
The Solution: Go back to first principles
What if the problem isn’t actually the problem. What if the problem is the assumption, not the problem.
Start by asking “What am I actually trying to achieve in this situation?”
Not “What am I supposed to want?”
Not “What am I supposed to do?”
Not “What is everyone else doing?”
Start with what you actually want and need. Now you have a problem worth solving!
The Application:
"Why don't you wear a proper figure skating boot?"
I get asked this all the time. And the answer is simple.
When I first started skating, we assumed I needed a skate boot ⛸️.
The first problem was figuring out how to squeeze my prosthetic foot into one.
Then we had to deal with the fact that figure skates aren't flat. They have a 15mm heel, and that extra height was throwing off my hip and knee alignment on my amputated side.
Do we build a custom skate boot that's flat?
Do we create a prosthetic foot with an adjustable heel height?
And then it hit us 💡
The purpose of a skating boot is to support your ankle.
But I don't have an ankle...
We were spending all our time troubleshooting around a piece of equipment I didn't actually need.
So instead, we ditched the boot altogether and drilled the blade directly onto my prosthetic foot.
Problem solved.
It's lighter
It's simpler
And for me, it works better
So the answer to the question is: I don't wear a skating boot because I don't need one. (And also because I think it looks pretty cool like this 😎⛸️)
This is your friendly reminder to question all boxes, frameworks, parameters, and internalised ideas of what normal looks like.
Sometimes they're helpful.
But sometimes they're not.
Always make sure the problem you're solving is the one that actually needs solving.
What assumptions are you ready to release yourself from?
You feel it in your bones when your values and actions perfectly align. So it’s worth taking the time to ensure you're solving problems you actually want to.
I’ll leave you with another gem from Peter Drucker:
"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."
Stay bold, friends!
- Stef 💪
PS. You can watch the bootless blade in action here
Forward this to a friend you want to encourage!
Or forward to someone looking for an inspirational speaker.