Sometimes, while trying to solve a problem, we actually end up making it bigger. Many of you may have seen various video versions of this idea, but I will describe it in writing so you can visualize it in your mind. (Both writing and reading have benefits.)
Imagine a glass of water. Inside it there is soil, twigs, and small particles of dirt. What is the first instinct? To try to remove them one by one with a spoon. But with every attempt, you lose a bit more water. The more you struggle, the more tired you become, and more importantly, “the glass never truly becomes clean”.
Then a second method comes into play: you stop trying to pick everything out. Instead, you continuously add clean water to the glass, and after a while…
As the water overflows, all the dirt flows out of the glass. In the end, only clean water remains. We make the same mistake very often in business life, team management, and even in daily life.
We try to “fix” negative people
We focus on solving problems one by one
We try to move forward by picking apart mistakes
But this approach;
Consumes energy, reduces motivation, and is often not sustainable.
Perhaps the right question is not “What should I remove?” but “What should I increase?”
More good communication
More trust
More clarity
More right people
More positive culture
When you increase the right things enough
The wrong ones naturally get pushed out of the system. Let this be our note for the week:
“Stop fiddling with the spoon. Focus on adding clean water to the glass.”
Best regards
Mustafa Başar