The problem gets solved in two ways. The first way is reactionary. The problem is discovered and then there is some action to resolve it. This is classic “customer service.” The second way is proactive. We discover a problem and then we work to solve it, but we don’t stop there. We try to figure out where the problem originated to see if it’s possible to solve the underlying cause. Some problems cannot be permanently solved (like the problem of hunger), but others can. Seems simple enough. We don’t tend to do it, though, because the urgency of each problem at hand beats the importance of finding the underlying causes every time. Urgency is the professional team playing against Importance which is your high school’s JV team. However, If we can put in our SOP that “we are the type of people who always look to solve the roots of our problems,” and if we can build a culture around that sentiment, then, over time, our customers benefit, our blood pressure benefits, and our organization benefits. Investing in the important is urgent!
First day of the rest of your life or all downhill from here
"Every day is better than the next." I missed it the first time I heard this line in the movie, "There's Something About Mary." This time, I got it. After laughing I realized something. I have spent years of my life on the wrong side of the equation. "Every day is...