Card #54 – ”The Right Problem” from the Creative Whack Pack
Available on the iOS App Store and as a physical deck of cards

“I’m not returning until bandleader Count Basie told a club owner whose piano was always out of tune.
A month later Basie got a call that everything was fine. When he returned, the piano was still out of tune.
“You said you fixed it!” an irate Basie shouted.
“I did,” came the reply. “I had it painted.”
Why do people solve the wrong problems?
One reason is laziness. Many people don’t like problems, and when they encounter them they react by taking the first way out they can find.
Another reason is that some people have a dominant agenda or skill set governing their thinking. The old saying that “people who are only good with hammers see every problem as a nail” is relevant here. These individuals make their solutions conform to their own interests and/or what they know how to do, rather than inquiring if some other issues might be addressed instead.
Look beyond the first solution that comes to mind, and see if there’s a more pressing issue you could be dealing with.
— Are you solving the right problem?
— Is there a more significant one you could be addressing?
— Are you being lazy and taking the first solution you can find?
— Is there a dominant agenda guiding your judgment? If so, what kinds of solutions does it drive you to?