Watery eyes and compulsive sneezing alert us to allergy season.
An upset stomach and high fever may be indicative of the flu.
We know symptoms indicate that there is something bigger going on inside of us. If we’re smart, we proactively treat the real problem.
But unfortunately every day in our organizations, we can be guilty of chasing symptoms rather than addressing the root issues beneath them–the true cause.
- We are frustrated with volunteer turnover but aren’t aware that our training for them is defunct.
- We don’t understand people’s lack of engagement but fail to recognize how complex and confusing our communication is.
- We grow irritated with the consistent under-performance of our staff but don’t provide regular feedback and accountability.
It’s easy to get distracted by symptoms. They are the obvious. The urgent. But when we ignore the real underlying problems, we keep ourselves and our teams trapped in the same frustrating cycles.
As a leader you must address the problems lurking in your organization.
What symptoms are you currently chasing? Challenge yourself to look deeper to identify the real problems.
I assure you, in time, this discovery process, coupled with attending to the issues you uncover, will yield the health you’re hoping for.
