6.2Recurring problems (playbook)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Reflex: one symptom = likely causes = a sequence of actions — diagnose before acting.
- Root: a failing approach almost always comes back to the same fundamentals (frame, separate phases, converge, decide).
- Order: start from the table's most frequent cause, then verify with facts before applying the rest.
Sara thread — 1 year on: the playbook on the wall
One year on, Sara keeps this playbook near her desk. Verdict: three lines served her most — the brainstorming going nowhere, the problem returning despite patches, and many ideas never realized. For each, she ended up fixing the root (rules and framing, root cause, decision and plan) instead of repeating the incident.
Observed symptom, verified causes, actions in order: the reflex holds in three steps.
One reflex per symptom
Most creative approaches that fail do so for classic reasons. Linking each symptom to its likely causes and a sequence of actions saves precious time.
| Symptom | Likely causes | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Idea drought, blank page | “logical” thinking going in circles (L1.5) | SCAMPER on an existing thing; associations/analogies; random word; take a break |
| Ideas are judged right away | early judgment, self-censorship (L0.2, L0.3) | separate divergence and convergence; “no judgment” in generation |
| The brainstorming is sterile | no rules, dominants, no framework (L1.1) | 4 Osborn rules, HMW topic, time limit, facilitator; add brainwriting |
| You solve, but the problem returns | you treat the symptom, not the cause (L2.1) | 5 whys to the root cause; Ishikawa if multiple causes |
| You solve the wrong problem | botched framing, disguised solution (L2.1) | 5W1H; reframe without a hidden solution; verify the right problem |
| Too many ideas, you drown | absent or messy convergence (L4.1) | affinity grouping; dot voting; impact/feasibility matrix |
| You build a solution no one wants | you start from assumptions (L3.1, L3.4) | empathy, interviews, low-fi prototype tested early with users |
| Many ideas, none realized | no decision or plan (L4.5) | decide, action plan (who/what/when), owner, follow-up |
| The group is worse than its members | groupthink, domination (L5.2) | diversity, safety, equal methods, devil's advocate |
Ready-to-say script — name the symptom before fixing (1 min)
"Our symptom: [sterile brainstorming / returning problem / ideas never realized]. My hypothesis #1: [the playbook's most frequent cause]. I check the facts then 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 (framing, facts, group observation): ...
ACTIONS (in order): 1) ... 2) ... 3) ...
Targeted FUNDAMENTAL (frame, separate phases, converge, decide): ...
REVIEW in 2 weeks: improved? stable? worse?...Small business / tight budget
No formal table: one symptom, one cause verified on facts, one noted fix.
Algeria SME
Include real constraints (peaks, short staff, phone/WhatsApp channels) in the causes before concluding a method problem.
Remote / hybrid
Add the channel to the likely causes: at a distance, domination and disengagement show less — written brainwriting and rounds.
Cross-cultural
Check the rules understood by all before acting: a silence can be respect, not agreement.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Spot 1 current symptom in your approaches, 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.
Sara's brainstorming is sterile: two voices dominate, the others stay silent. Which reflex does the playbook apply?
A recurring failure is not ten incidents: it is a missing reflex to fix at the root (frame, separate phases, converge, decide).