Solve the right problem, then make fixes stick with simple rules

Groups often jump from frustration to fixes. That’s how teams end up buying new software when the real issue was unclear handoffs. A cleaner path starts with a one‑sentence problem: “We intended to ship orders in 48 hours, we’re at 72.” It’s awkward to write, which is why it works. Then you ask two simple lenses: trend and timing. “When did this slip start? When is it worst?” The warehouse lead might say, “Fridays, after we added three new SKUs.” Now you have clues.

Next, you generate options before arguing for your favorite. Three plausible causes, three different solutions. Maybe the cause is mislabeled bins, or batching too large, or late data from sales. You pull a small sample to test which one is real. With causes in hand, you try a fix. If it works, you codify the change so it sticks.

That’s where principles and policies come in. Principles are always‑on guardrails, like “We fix work, not people.” Policies are simple rules for a specific workflow, like “Two‑minute scan of labels at 3 p.m.” Teams that only write policies become rigid. Teams that only talk principles drift. The duo creates clarity without bureaucracy.

This approach mirrors good diagnostics in medicine: clear complaint, focused history, differential diagnosis, test, then treatment. In operations, it translates to shorter cycles of trial and learning, fewer blame games, and sturdier fixes because the rule lives where work lives. The sensory test is simple: can someone doing the task point to the rule card on the wall while the printer hums and say, “We do it like this now”?

Write your problem in a single sentence that contrasts intent with reality, then ask when the pattern started, when it’s worst, and what changed around those times. List three possible causes and three varied solutions, test a small sample to narrow what’s real, and pick one fix to try for a week. If it works, write one principle and one policy, post them where work happens, and refer to them in the next stand‑up. Keep it small and visible. Do the one‑sentence rewrite tonight.