A Problem, a Pattern, or a Pain in the A**

One of the things I enjoy about working with healthy leaders is their commitment to personal growth. They not only seek excellence in their craft, but they also embrace a strong desire for self-improvement. These people are the stewards of progress, the champions of innovation, the leaders who approach challenges with a relentless hunger for learning.

I have a working theory about how we should approach opportunities for growth. Leaders in all industries need to consider the following question: Is the moment I am facing a problem, a pattern, or am I dealing with a pain in the a**?

Let's unpack this question using a hypothetical scenario.

John is a graduate assistant for a men’s college soccer team. He works about 20 hours a week for the team. In exchange, he gets a $10,000 annual stipend. Additionally, he can take his graduate courses tuition-free. While his contract is year-round, he has time in the off-season to do some side jobs to earn more income. Money is tight, but not having to pay tuition is a huge relief.

On a Friday morning, John calls his head coach and says he has an issue. He explains that he ran out of gas three blocks from campus. He was able to push his car to a gas station, but he has no cash and nothing in his bank account. It’s the last day of the month, and he will get paid at 5pm. He asks if one of the coaches can come to the gas station and spot him ten dollars.

For the head coach, the moment presents an opportunity for discernment—is this a singular problem warranting a solution, a recurring pattern requiring a behavioral change, or the manifestation of a deeper issue?

A problem needs a solution. We can look at this situation and easily say the problem is that John ran out of gas, and the solution is to fill his tank. That may be the case. It could be a one-time thing, a rare moment for a young coach who has a lot on his plate. If it is a problem, his leader should help with a solution. Fill his tank; problem solved.

But let’s imagine this is the third month in a row this has happened. On the last day of the month, John runs out of gas because he always runs out of money. This is no longer a problem but a pattern, and while a problem needs a solution, a pattern requires a behavioral change. The pattern will continue if the head coach keeps filling up John’s tank.

I am not suggesting that we let John “learn his lesson” and leave him without gas. However, when dealing with a pattern, we best serve others by helping them break the pattern.

In this case, the Head Coach needs to get curious and ask questions. In doing so, he may discover that John needs to learn about budgeting, or maybe the coach needs to advocate for John to get a pay raise, or perhaps he can offer John additional ways to earn more income.

While asking questions, the coach may learn that John has a sibling who depends on him for financial help, so his stipend and side jobs aren’t enough. Once he knows the facts, he can support John and help him change this pattern.

However, there is a third option. Maybe John is a pain in the a**. He might be irresponsible and reckless. It is possible that he takes advantage of people and makes poor decisions. He might be careless and unconcerned with how his actions impact others. In that case, John may no longer suited to be part of this coaching staff. But it would be wrong to fire John if there really is a problem that can be solved or a pattern that can be changed.

Understanding which issue is at play is important because each option requires a different approach.

But I have noticed a trend. When faced with a moment of growth, leaders often assume they are dealing with a pattern.

For example, a leader gets an anonymous survey, and one employee has commented that communication needs to improve. The leader often assumes they need to overhaul their communication style. They rewrite their mission statement to include communication, form a new communication committee, and work to get to the bottom of how they can fix this. They enroll in an online communication class and hire a communication coach. They are ready to change their behavior. Leaders often assume it is a pattern, and they are the ones who need a behavioral change.

But what if this is a problem that needs a solution rather than a pattern that requires a behavioral overhaul? What if the issue was the fact that the company uses a mobile app to communicate in groups, but this employee's company phone is so old that it won’t download the most current version of the app? As a result, the employee is missing out on key communication features. In this case, we have a problem, and the solution is to get this employee a new company phone. New phone; problem solved.

It is also possible this employee is simply a pain in the a**! They complain every chance they get. They make things up and exaggerate for an audience. What if there is no problem, no pattern, just an unhappy employee who has no desire to be happy?

As leaders, we must pause and determine what we are dealing with. A problem, a pattern, and a pain in the a** each require a different response. Too often, leaders with the best intentions assume they are dealing with a pattern, and they quickly head down the path of doing a personal overhaul.

We can do better.

We owe it to those we are leading to make sure we understand what we are dealing with. Otherwise, we end up like John, pushing ourselves into the gas station, wondering how this happened AGAIN.

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