Avoiding the Mindset of One Step Forward and Two Steps Back
I am a strong advocate of having a “why” mindset instead of a “what” mindset. In my experience, people who have a mindset that leans towards focusing on the “what” aren’t thinking about permanently solving a problem. Instead, their mindset is on finding a short-term band-aid using tactics. On the other hand, those who focus on the “why” are thinking more long term. “Why” people prefer to dig in and solve a problem once and for all using a strategy based in logic.
In other words, a “what” mindset will help you take one step forward in the short term but two or three steps back in the long-term. A “why” mindset will do the opposite. While there is a time and place for both mindsets, “why” thinking is nearly always better when dealing with the long-term.
Yes, it’s true that sometimes the long-term doesn’t matter. Particularly when dealing with common problems that are temporary. All a paper cut needs is a band-aid. You’ll be fine in 2 minutes. However, relying on band-aids can be dangerous in the wrong situation. Band-aids literally can do more harm than good if the laceration is deep, and you don’t clean and treat the wound first. Furthermore, using a band-aid to cover a poisonous snake bite won’t do anything to help at all.
Simply stated, anytime you think you know what a solution is to any serious problem, ask yourself why. Why did the problem rear its head in the first place? Is your solution going to solve that root cause or is it a band-aid? Make it a practice to apply rigor to your problem solving and think beyond the short-term.