6.2Recurring problems (playbook)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Reflex: one symptom = likely causes = a sequence of actions — diagnose before acting.
- Root: a recurring miss is not a series of incidents, it is a missing reflex (listening, adaptation, structure, channel).
- Order: start from the table's most frequent cause, then verify with facts before applying the rest.
Yasmine thread — 1 year on: the playbook on the wall
One year on, Yasmine keeps this playbook near her desk. Verdict: three lines served her most — the email left unanswered, the meeting going everywhere, and feedback turning into blame. For each, she ended up fixing the root (subject and request, agenda, observable facts) instead of repeating the incident.
Observed symptom, verified causes, actions in order: the reflex holds in three steps.
One reflex per symptom
Most communication mishaps come from classic causes: a message not adapted, the wrong channel, absent listening. Linking each symptom to its causes and an action saves precious time and prevents many tensions.
| Symptom | Likely causes | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| My e-mail gets no reply | vague subject, buried request (L1.2) | explicit subject; one clear request up front; precise deadline |
| I'm misunderstood | message not adapted to the person (L0.4) | clarify the goal; rephrase; check understanding |
| Stage fright paralyzes me | preparation and breathing (L3.1, L3.2) | structure in three parts; breathe; rehearse aloud |
| My writing looks unprofessional | typos, tone, layout (L2.4) | proofread; mind tone and netiquette (L1.3); structure it |
| I don't dare say no / express a need | lack of assertiveness (L4.1) | state the facts + your need + a proposal, with respect |
| Feedback turns into blame | focused on the person, not behavior (L4.2) | observable facts; effect; request; at the right moment |
| The meeting goes everywhere | no agenda or facilitation (L5.1) | goal, agenda, timing, record of decisions |
| Remote/hybrid misunderstandings | no non-verbal, wrong channel (L5.2) | be more explicit; camera on; a written summary afterward |
| Intercultural tension | different implicit codes (L5.3) | suspend judgment; ask; adapt register and pace |
Ready-to-say script — name the symptom as a team (1 min)
"We have the symptom [email with no reply / meeting overflowing / feedback stuck]. My hypothesis #1: [the playbook's most frequent cause]. I check [fact to verify], then we apply the sequence. Review in two weeks."
Copy-paste template — express diagnostic sheet
Observed SYMPTOM (facts): ...
Since when / frequency: ...
Likely CAUSES (playbook 6.2): ...
Verification (re-read, rephrase, listen): ...
ACTIONS (in order): 1) ... 2) ... 3) ...
Corrected REFLEX (listening, adaptation, structure, channel): ...
REVIEW in 2 weeks: improved? stable? worse?...Small business / tight budget
No formal table: a frank discussion around the symptom, one verified cause, one noted action.
Algeria SME
Include real channels and activity peaks in the causes before concluding there is a willingness problem.
Remote / hybrid
Add channel and explicitness to the likely causes: at a distance, half the symptoms come from the medium.
Cross-cultural
Check implicit codes before acting: a silence can be respect, not agreement.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Spot 1 current symptom in your communication, fill the express diagnostic sheet and test the 1st action.
- I can link a symptom to its likely causes.
- I have filled (or scheduled) an express diagnostic sheet.
- I know the referral to the level worth deepening for my case.
Yasmine's email has gone unanswered for a week. Which reflex does the playbook apply?
A recurring mishap is not ten incidents: it is a missing reflex to fix at the root (listening, adaptation, structure, channel).