Break the Cycle & Resolve Team Issues Efficiently - Mindshift Moments

The Moment:

Your team is facing a critical deadline tomorrow, but your progress hinges on input from other departments. Weeks ago, you followed the usual process: you emailed each department to request the necessary information. Yet here you are, on the eve of the deadline, and—predictably—that one department, the same one that always creates an issue, hasn’t delivered. You’re frustrated and thinking, “That department NEVER gets its part done on time!”

The Mindshift:

What’s happening here is a Recycled Problem—the kind of issue that repeats itself because it’s never fully resolved. These problems are more than just frustrating—they’re a slow bleed on your team’s effectiveness:

Time Wasters: 

Think about one recent Recycled Problem. How much time do you and your team spend fixing the issue each time it arises? Write that number down. Don’t forget to include the time you spend venting your frustration about the issue. Now, multiply that by the number of times this problem has recurred. For instance, if you and your team spend a combined 150 minutes each time this problem surfaces, and it’s happened five times this year, that’s 750 minutes—1.5 work days—wasted on a problem that never should have existed.

Increased Stress and Burnout: 

Studies consistently show that solving the same problem repeatedly, especially at the expense of tackling new challenges, heightens stress and contributes to burnout. This leads to disengagement, diminished creativity, and increased turnover - each outcome is more damaging and expensive than the last.

A Misuse of Resources: 

Allowing Recycled Problems to persist is an irresponsible use of your team’s time and talents. Imagine telling your boss you plan to dedicate 1.5 days to tasks that do nothing to advance your team’s goals. That would be crazy, yet that’s exactly what’s happening.

The Strategies:

Is a specific Recycled Problem coming to mind for you?

Apply these steps to break the cycle and achieve a different outcome in the future:

1. Don’t get mad, get curious: Recycled problems usually happen because we tend to react to them by complaining and blaming the other people involved but never actually talking to them about it. The first step is getting curious about what might be going on for them.  We jump right to saying things like, “They are so lazy!” or “They don’t even care about this project!” But it is unlikely that this other department actually set out to ruin your life. Ask yourself if the other individuals fully understand the task and its importance. Are they clear about the impact of missing the deadline? Do they have conflicting priorities that you might not be seeing or understanding?

2. Name the pattern: Initiate a conversation with the other people involved and name the pattern you notice. Have a conversation about the pattern, not the latest missed deadline. Say, “I’ve noticed this deadline often gets missed and it causes a tailspin for my team. What patterns are you noticing from your perspective?”

3. Change the pattern: Plan ahead—mark your calendar two months before the next deadline. Who do you need to speak with to ensure a different outcome? What expectations need clarification? Who needs to understand the stakes better? What conversations should happen leading up to the deadline?

Imagine what your team could accomplish without the drain of Recycled Problems. The power to change is in your hands. Set new expectations for yourself, address the time-wasting patterns, and start conversations that pave the path for a different way of working. Challenge yourself to break the cycle, and then watch your team thrive.