Are you staring down a problem that you just can’t solve?

And no matter what you’ve tried, you can’t figure out, much less move on to correct this most mysterious circumstance?

The downstream impact of one “small” problem is much greater than you might expect. It includes the loss of much time, energy, attention and profits, to say nothing of the customer goodwill and future sales you may lose, too.

When you’re facing a problem you can’t solve, a mystery that confounds you, go back to the basics as quickly and completely as you can.

And then design your way out of the problem.

Redesign the processes you use to deliver your products and services so that you can consistently deliver the quality your customers expect.

You may also have to redesign some support processes, such as training, supervision, and other processes you didn’t plan you’d need to assess or repair.

Start with a very basic analysis as you try to resolve the mystery (it’s likely to take your best Sherlock Holmes detective skills):

1. What do you have too much of?

2. What do you have too little of?

Maybe you have too small an inventory of some key parts and someone tried to substitute a part that didn’t work.

Or perhaps there’s high inconsistency in the way a particular product or service is produced, or too much variation in how standards are taught, monitored and reinforced.

3. Who are your customers?

Remember why you’re in business and whose needs you’re in business to serve, right now.

Your customers’ dissatisfaction with the products or services they’ve bought from you, and how you respond to that dissatisfaction is what you need to concentrate on most, for the moment.

How you respond affects more of your future opportunities than you might guess.

Manage your response thoughtfully,and well.

And as unpleasant as customer dissatisfaction may seem, it’s the heart of the storm you need to head into (seriously) and understand.

4. What do your customers care about most?

You need to know what’s most important to your customers, and what their highest priorities are from among several things they may want from you.

If you don’t know what’s most important, ask them.

You’ll get fairly consistent feedback – and probably quite rapidly – that will be invaluable in helping you figure out what’s going on.

5. Go back to the drawing board.

Design or redesign the features and production processes involved so that you can consistently produce the results your customers seek – and are paying you for.

And yes, the problem-solving process – no matter rigorous or far-reaching it must be in order to get the problem fully solved – is far easier said than done.

Handling the problem proactively is a far cry better than ignoring the mystery, hoping it takes care of itself, as it quickly continues to grow, and get far, far worse.

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