Bullseye Solution, Wrong Target
Two examples of the right solutions applied to the wrong problem.
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter Drucker
Yesterday I posted an essay about a “brushing” scam; you can read more about it here. In it, I noted that thousands of unsolicited seeds were arriving at American doorsteps from China as part of a scam to boost product reviews and seller ratings on e-commerce platforms. As a result, Amazon told the BBC that it would only allow the sale of seeds by sellers based in the US; therefore, banning foreign seed sales altogether. Further, Amazon's new guidelines, which have been in effect Since September 3, 2020, also restrict the sale of seeds within the U.S. by non-US residents.
This is a quick, bold move that will likely benefit the greater good; however, it comes with guaranteed ramifications by not addressing the issue at hand, brushing. The bad actors, as they have done in the past, will ship other lightweight items to continue their efforts. See the image below of another item utilized, an empty cloth pouch.
As stated, some will benefit, and some will suffer. For example, does the seed ban include the chia seed market? Reportlinker.com notes that the Global Chia Seeds Market is expected to grow from USD 286.57 Million in 2019 to USD 439.64 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.39%. Does this projection need to be revised?
Solving the wrong problem is not new. The example with the brushing scam above is at a scale where it may feel irrelevant to you. However, let me offer another example.
In this age of upskilling, high demand for top tier talent, virtual interactions, and fluctuating strategic directions, ensuring your team pointing in the right direction is critical. Undoubtedly, conflicts or unalignment will occur. A good friend of mine in the legal industry encountered several issues with an employee where tasks were not getting completed at the same quality as in prior months. My friend launched several training initiatives to upskill the employee, implemented project management software, and established regular touchpoints. However, four weeks passed, and it did not work. After an extensive conversation with the employee, it appeared there was a motivational issue. It was not a hard skill problem. The employee thrived in an environment where his efforts were discussed publicly and applauded. With the move to virtual, that ceased. My friend wanted to keep this employee, so he ensured to make the efforts a little more public - problem solved.
The above is another example where the solution did not address the problem. However, there are ways to mitigate this issue mindfully. Try redefining an issue or be explicit about what the problem is. This allows you to experiment with a “beginner’s mind.” It is ok to start over, trying different solutions, assessing their effectiveness, learning from failures, and trying again as long as these efforts are towards the real problem, not the perceived one.