Stop Circling Problems, Start Designing Solutions
Over the years, I’ve seen the same challenge surface in hundreds of businesses: we focus on growing more rather than growing better. The result? We run harder but don’t always move forward in the ways that matter most for profitability, stability, and valuation.
This is why I’m sharing a short series on Revenue Quality, four shifts that can transform the way you think about growth. Each shift tackles a different blind spot and points toward the same goal: a business that grows more predictably and profitably. And each are from a mistake I have made – where better to look.
One simple question can shift you from firefighting to building predictable, profitable growth.
The Wrong Question Is Keeping You Stuck
Ever had a problem in your business that just… lingers? You talk about it in meetings. You assign action items. You even run a workshop. And yet, months later, it’s still there, costing time, money, and energy. It’s not that your team isn’t trying. It’s that you might be asking the wrong question.
For me, I have been struggling with a problem – and love problems – and not making headway, wrangling with the same question.
The Question That Keeps You Spinning
And that was the actual problem – I kept asking the same question. Most of us instinctively go straight to: What’s causing this problem?
Sounds logical. But here’s the trap:
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You can end up chasing root causes endlessly.
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Different people have different ideas about “the” cause.
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Even when you agree on the cause, fixing it doesn’t always fix the bigger problem.
This is why some issues never really go away, they just keep reappearing in a new form. The Question That Gets You Moving
Then, in my mental meandering, I tried something different. Instead, I shifted the intent of the question around to: What needs to be true for this to no longer be a problem? It shifts the conversation from diagnosis to design. From debating the past to creating the future.
Example:
If your sales conversion is low, “What’s causing this?” might lead you down a dozen rabbit holes—pricing, training, market conditions, website design. But “What needs to be true for our conversion rate to be consistently higher?” might focus you on three clear actions—like tighter lead qualification, a simpler proposal process, and faster follow-up.
Why This Matters for Revenue Quality
Lingering problems are silent revenue killers. They eat up your best people’s time. They keep customers waiting. They block higher-value opportunities from even making it to your radar.
When you reframe the question, you not only solve the problem faster, you improve the quality of your revenue. You move from firefighting to building a business that grows more predictably, profitably, and sustainably.
Where to Start
If you’ve got a challenge that’s been dragging on too long, the first step is to get clear on what needs to be true. The next step? See exactly where these lingering issues are undermining your growth potential.
That’s where the Lead-to-Revenue Assessment comes in. It gives you a clear, data-driven picture of where your revenue growth is getting stuck—and what needs to be true for it to move forward.
Find out about how best to promote the best people for the role by touching base with me at michael@workinsights.io.