Going beyond temporary solutions
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of running a business—there’s always a new challenge to tackle, a market shift to respond to, or an urgent issue to fix. But when businesses rely on quick fixes to keep things going, they may find themselves stuck in a cycle of applying “band-aids” that don’t truly solve the problem. It’s like patching a leaky roof—you may cover the hole for now, but unless you address the underlying damage, the leaks will keep coming back.
Why Quick Fixes Aren’t Enough
Imagine this: a company facing high employee turnover responds by offering bonuses to retain staff. It may work for a few months, but if the real problem is a toxic work environment or lack of career growth, the turnover issue will eventually resurface.
In sustainability, the same pattern occurs. A business might reduce its plastic packaging to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. While that’s a good step, if the company’s broader practices—such as energy usage or waste management — remain unchanged, the overall environmental impact doesn’t improve significantly.
This is the challenge of the “band-aid” approach: it covers up the symptoms but doesn’t heal the underlying issue. To break this cycle, businesses need to shift their focus from reactive, short-term solutions to proactive, long-term strategies that address the root causes.
“So often, we find ourselves solving problems again and again because we never solved them in the first place.”
Dan Heath, Upstream
How you can get started
So, where do you start? Here are some actionable steps you can take to move beyond temporary solutions:
Ask yourself “why”
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to get to the root of a problem is to ask “why” multiple times. This technique, known as the 5 Whys, encourages deeper thinking beyond the obvious.Think in systems
When tackling business challenges, consider using systems thinking- it means understanding that different parts of your organization are interconnected. A challenge in one area might have ripple effects elsewhere. For example, if a manufacturing company struggles with waste reduction, this could be linked to inefficiencies in its supply chain or product design.
By looking at the entire system, you can uncover how these elements are influencing each other and address the broader issue, rather than just the immediate symptoms.Shift from a reactive to a proactive approach
Schedule regular “pre-mortem” meetings. These sessions involve anticipating what could go wrong with a project or strategy before it happens. This helps teams think upstream and prevent issues from arising in the first place.
If you’re launching a new product, don’t just focus on immediate logistics. Think upstream. Are there potential supply chain disruptions you can anticipate? Could consumer trends shift in the coming months? Planning for these possibilities helps prevent future problems, allowing you to solve them before they occur.Use data to drive decision-making
Use data analytics to uncover patterns and trends that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, if you’re experiencing declining customer engagement, dig into customer behavior data to see where the drop-off is happening. Are certain products underperforming? Once you’ve identified the specific issue, you can address it more effectively.
Learn from others
Some companies have already made this shift and are seeing huge benefits. Take Unilever, for instance. They realized that surface-level changes wouldn’t be enough to truly reduce their environmental impact. So, they committed to a Sustainable Living Plan that transformed how they source materials, produce goods, and engage with consumers. By addressing the root causes of their sustainability challenges, they’ve managed to lower costs, improve their brand reputation, and meet the rising demand for responsible business practices.
By moving away from quick fixes and addressing the root causes of your business challenges, you’ll not only solve problems more effectively but also build a stronger, more sustainable foundation for future growth.
Want to learn more?
If you would like to know more about sustainable growth and how to transformation towards it, send me an email at camila@formation.se, and let’s talk!
