Symptoms vs. Systems

Symptoms have a gravitational pull. Often when we encounter issues, the natural reflex is to get in there, engaged, enthralled with the symptoms and patch those up: our CRM is missing the right Customer IDs every few records? Let’s set aside a recurring time to correct those! It certainly sounds like that makes sense. A little later, this procedure has now become part of our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The key to performance is to recognize when we are engaged with the symptoms and not dealing with the systems causing the symptoms. There is no recipe for this, it is a practice. Taking a step back and distinguishing the symptoms from their root causes takes courage and often requires engaging deeply with the subject matter. Good indicators are: noticing when manual tasks are being repeated without questioning, and repeated inconsistencies occurring seemingly at random (and often having become a part of everyday life).

Keep in mind that there are indeed times where the best decision is to treat the symptoms. And: turning the above-mentioned reflex into a conscious and communicated choice is the hallmark of good leadership.