Treating Diseases Instead of Symptoms

Treating Diseases Instead of Symptoms

A 400 lb. man hobbles into a surgeon’s office complaining of knee pain. Even though the doctor knows what the real problem is, he recommends injections as the first treatment step. It has been repeatedly proven that every extra pound we carry adds 4 lbs. to the strain we put on our joints.

So, is the surgeon’s recommendation likely to produce a lasting benefit? Of course not! The correct answer (regardless of how politically incorrect it might be) is to tell the patient to lose 200 lbs. and see if his knee pain goes away. The symptom was knee pain but the cause of the problem was obesity.

How many times are we guilty of looking at the symptoms of a problem instead of at the root cause? Unfortunately, the answer is, “Way too often.”

Let’s look at the problem of low morale. At one point or another every business faces the issue of low morale. You can make change after change in search of a magic potion, or you can search for the real root cause. In most cases it boils down to a single employee who has raised an issue with everyone who will listen. In the absence of strong management, the issue soon spreads like wildfire until you have a full-blown companywide morale problem.

A strong manager sees the problem as an opportunity and immediately meets one-on-one with the employee. The first goal of such a meeting is to listen. Who knows, the employee may have a grievance which needs to be addressed. In a perfect world, the manager would fix the problem, talk to the employee about better ways to raise issues in the future and show the rest of the employees how responsive the company is to legitimate employee issues.

The other 90% of the time the problem (disease) is an employee who thrives on spreading discontent. In this case the symptom (low morale) can only be treated by identifying and treating the disease. If confrontation is an issue for a manager, the problem will only worsen. The quicker the managerial reaction, the more chance for success.

To be honest, rehabilitating a habitual complainer is almost always a losing proposition. For some people, complaining is simply a way of life. These people are cancers in any organization and must be removed. Occasionally you will encounter an employee who gets caught up in a negative environment without realizing it. Those employees can sometimes - not always - but sometimes be counseled back to positivity but only if they are dealt with quickly and firmly.

When evaluating employee grievances, you must first realize that people always want something more than they have. It might be a bigger desk, a newer work truck or a different job title. You will be much more successful if you listen intently and read between the lines to get to the root cause of the problem.

Most complaints are relative - meaning that your employee may not need a bigger desk, but since someone else has one it suddenly seems important. Good managers are part therapist, part salesman and part businessman. Rather than telling an employee that a bigger desk is not an option he might explain what he or she needs to do to earn one. Or he might remind them of something they already received which others do not have.

Regardless of the issue, decisive managerial response is critical. Employees need to know that inappropriate actions will be met with an immediate response. Bad actors will continue to act badly unless disciplined or removed. In a leadership vacuum problems multi ply. When strong leadership is present employees are heard, issues are resolved and good employees flourish.

Back to the example in the opening paragraph, here’s what happens. The shots don’t work and the 400 lb. man insists on a knee replacement. Post surgery he fails to complete his required rehab because of the pain and his knee continues to hurt. Of course, he blames the surgeon for a bad outcome.

Wouldn’t it have made more sense for the surgeon to treat the disease from the outset? Sure, the patient would probably have gone to a different doctor, but the original surgeon would have a clear conscience and one less bad Google review!