Part 2 - Field Guide

5 Ways to Stop
Avoiding the Obvious

1. Name the Real Problem

Don’t soften it until it becomes meaningless.

“We’ve had a few communication challenges” might really mean customers aren’t receiving callbacks. “He’s going through a rough patch” might mean an employee has been underperforming for six months.

You can’t fix a problem you refuse to name honestly.

2. Calculate the Cost of Waiting

Ask what the issue is costing in lost customers, wasted time, employee frustration, rework, discounts, or damage to your reputation.

Avoidance feels free. It isn’t.

3. Have the Conversation

Most owners already know which conversation needs to happen. They’ve probably rehearsed it a dozen times while driving home.

Be direct, respectful, and specific. Address the behavior or problem – not the person’s character.

4. Assign an Owner and a Deadline

“Someone should take care of that” is how problems survive for years.

Decide who is responsible, what the finished result should look like, and when it will be completed.

5. Make Sure It Stays Fixed

Don’t celebrate too early. Check back in.

Did the new process work? Did the behavior change? Did the clutter slowly return? A problem isn’t solved simply because you held a meeting about it.

What you repeatedly allow eventually becomes part of your company’s standard.