Are you solving the solution, and not the problem?

Sometimes we become too focused on finding solutions that we forget about the original problem.

This happens even when we start with the best intentions. First, we identify the problem we want to solve, and then we decide on the most promising solution.

However, often these solutions come with their own set of challenges. We then start solving those challenges, which means we are now working on solutions to solve the original solution.

Here's an example. Imagine you want to increase the number of users on your website. After some analysis, you decide that Google Search is the most effective way to bring in new users. You start working on that, and soon discover that Google Search advertising has its own challenges (poor Google Ad quality score, for example). You identify those challenges and start solving them. You are now spending your time solving problems for the original solution.

To make matters worse, those solutions may also have their own challenges, and we start addressing them too, and so on. Each time we move further away from the original problem until we forget what we were solving in the first place.

This can happen within a team or across an entire organization.

 To avoid this, take a step back and remove yourself from the details. Remind yourself of the original problem and ask whether what you are doing right now will help you solve it. If not, then take a look at the original solution/s and consider whether it was the right choice in the first place. With hindsight, you may realize that there are simpler options available. If this is the case, switch across but this time make sure you don't go down the rabbit hole.