Chasing Symptoms vs Addressing Problems
Symptoms get our attention.
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 real problems behind them.
- 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 problems underlying them, 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.
Great thoughts, Jenni. Definitely chasing the symptoms of lack of engagement/lack of follow through among church family and lack of transformation in my youth. I’ve been reminded quite a bit lately from various things (books, the Summit, the Spirit) about what I need to own and bring to the table in order to break cycles. Thanks, Jenni.