Solve the problem behind the problem

When clarity becomes a leadership skill

Problem solving in consulting often starts with a request that already contains a proposed solution. Treat that proposal as useful evidence, not as a fixed answer.

Ask what pain the solution is meant to relieve and how the team currently works around it.

Then form a hypothesis that you can test through observation, data or a small experiment.

This keeps the conversation practical while leaving room for a better intervention.

The goal is not to prove the first idea wrong; it is to make sure effort is spent on the constraint that actually limits performance.