Too many people lose valuable time and energy fixing problems, only to find they keep recurring. Maybe not right away, but the problems do recur, over and over. This is particularly frustrating when you are really busy and the problems result in important errors you simply can’t afford to keep fixing.

If this sounds familiar, and you want the secret to solving problems once and for all, read on or watch this tip instead?

Haste Make Waste

The key to making sustainable changes is to slow down, take time to analyze the problem, and really understand why the problem happens. You need to determine its root causes. It is not enough to just address the signs and symptoms of the problem. That is like trying to put a bandaid on a broken bone. Your solution might make you feel better for a little while, but it won’t be long before the problem crops up again, and possibly even worse than before.

But how do you figure out the root cause of a problem? By asking, “WHY?”

5 Whys—a question-asking technique—is an easy starting point to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem, and that helps you find the root cause of a problem. We discussed this technique back in August , and you can read that article here. I am coming back to this again since we are focusing on the Analyze Phase of the Practice Accelerator Framework this month in the Membership, and that reminded me of the power of “Why?”

Essentially, you ask yourself or your team “why” a particular problem occurs. The first answer you get is unlikely to give you a root cause for the problem. Usually, people start by identifying the symptoms of the problem. So, you need to ask “Why?” again.

And then, when you get the answer to that question, you ask “Why?” again. And again…until you get to the bottom of the issue.

There might not be exactly 5 “Why’s?” five is an arbitrary number to remind you to dig deeper into the problem and get past the surface explanation. A run through the 5 Whys Analysis is usually enough to get to the heart of the issue.

This week’s tip for building a more productive and profitable legal practice is if you want to solve a problem once and for all, you have got to analyze the problem to determine and then address its underlying root cause. Solving the signs or symptoms alone is a losing proposition. You will waste time and effort you can’t afford, and you will continue to be less efficient and effective than you could be.

If you want information like this once a week, sign up here so you don't miss a Tip of the Week.

Thanks a lot everybody! See you next week.