It's comically effective. Very much so.

"Is there anything you've tried that has worked better than anything else you've tried?"

They answer, "Yes."

I respond with, "Then do more of that and stop doing all that other stuff."

At which point I'll smile and say, "Good night, everybody!"

If it goes well (and it always does), then everybody smiles and chuckles. When the room sobers back up - within mere seconds - everybody realizes the profound simplicity of it all. And how true it really is.

The next conversation is typically focused on why and how we're making things worse, not better. It's the antithesis of the Hippocratic Oath.
“The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm.”
We've mostly heard it incorrectly stated, "First, do no harm." But that prioritization isn't really accurate. Rather, it's more clearly stated to do good and avoid doing any harm. Very binary. Needful in the practice of medicine. Also needful in the operation of your company.

Do good.

Don't do harm.

It's empty advice at first blush. Sorta like telling a poor person, "Get rich."

Unintended consequences abound. Well-intentioned actions do, too. No matter that these things may not always be congruent with our desired outcomes.

Make sure the problem is really THE problem.

Part of the challenge is the accurate identification of the issue. Do we really know what the problem is? We can make things worse because we're fixing the wrong thing.

This is where listening first kicks in. Don't assume you already know the problem. Be deeply curious to find out. How? By soliciting the perspective of others. And by listening to them.

It doesn't mean you have to convert to their point of view. That's the remarkable thing about listening that people can get wrong. Sometimes I suspect people don’t listen because they don't want to change their viewpoint or belief. Well, that's fine. Nobody says you must agree with or be converted to the viewpoint of the people to whom you listen. That's up to you.

Get over it. The fear of changing your mind. :D

It sounds ridiculous, but it's absolutely true. Just look at the political landscape. Or pick any cultural topic. Nastiness rules the day, not listening. Makes me wonder what people are afraid of. All I can figure is it's the fear of being convinced to change their mind. Or maybe they're fearful they'll learn something. Or understand something.

Listening matters. 

But only if understanding does, too. And when you're trying to identify a problem accurately enough to solve it, then understanding really matters!

Have you ever made a problem worse because it started with you saying something like this, "I know what we need to do...?"

We've all done it. Jumped to a conclusion. Too often the wrong conclusion.

It's easy. Leaping to conclusions. Filling in the gaps in our knowledge with assumptions. Mostly false ones.

Proactivity is ballyhooed. We think we need to jump on a problem straight away. Speed isn't always the best answer when it comes to identifying and solving a problem. Being thoughtful and mindful is always appropriate.

The quality of our questions determines the quality of our business. And the quality of our decisions. Which includes the quality of our problem-solving.

Leaders - those who would be great (and those who already are) - display enough patience to learn more. To dig deeply enough to make sure the problem is properly identified. And as fully understood as time will allow.