Stop Fixing Problems, Start Growing What Works
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Written by Helen Jun Chen, Guest Writer
When something goes wrong at work or in life, what’s your first instinct? To fix what’s broken or to build on what’s already working? For years, I believed the answer was always to diagnose the problem, the root cause, and correct it until I attended an inspiring workshop by the Business Analytics team, where they introduced the Solution-Focused approach, which I hadn’t been aware of before.
It made me think, when we run into a problem, don’t we instinctively focus on identifying its root cause? The Solution-Focused approach challenges that instinct and encourages us to focus on solutions instead of problems.
This got me curious about Organizational Development (OD). OD uses many methods, but two that people often compare are Traditional OD, which looks at root causes, and Solution-Focused OD (SFOD), which focuses on solutions and strengths.
Understanding the difference can help leaders and project managers choose the right strategy. And this is the part that made me think even more. What if the way we shape organizations can also be the way we shape our own lives, our habits, our health, our relationships, and our personal growth?
Let’s dive into the organizational side first.
Traditional OD: Fix what’s broken
Traditional OD comes from early organizational theory, systems thinking, and the ideas of Kurt Lewin. It is based on the belief that organizations improve when problems are identified, studied, and addressed through structured actions.
Key characteristics:
Problem-focused: Start by understanding what isn’t working.
Systematic process: Diagnose - analyze - plan interventions - implement - evaluate.
Data-driven: Relies on metrics, surveys, and assessments to uncover gaps.
Strengths:
Addresses structural and systemic issues.
Provides a clear roadmap for large-scale organizational change.
Limitations:
It can be slow and inflexible.
May overemphasize problems, potentially demotivating employees.
Example from my experience: Early in my project management career, I once spent too much time on what wasn’t working in a system and tried to rebuild it completely. I thought I was making things better, but my team felt stressed, and morale went down because we focused too much on problems rather than on what was going well.
I learned that leaders need to stay positive, especially under pressure, because what we focus on affects the team’s energy.
Solution-focused OD: Grow what works
Solution-Focused OD takes ideas from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and applies them to organizations. Instead of focusing on problems or digging into the past, it emphasizes building on what is already working.
Key characteristics:
Strengths-based: Focus on successes, resources, and potential.
Future-oriented: Focuses on clear goals and what the ideal future would look like.
Flexible and iterative: Tries out small changes to achieve quick wins.
Practical techniques I learned from the workshop:
Defining what success looks like: “If the project were running perfectly, what would it look like?”
Identifying exceptions: noticing times when things are already working.
Use scaling questions: “On a scale of 1 to 10, where are we now?”
Test small, low-risk experiments to improve processes.
Strengths:
Energizes and motivates teams by giving tangible hope.
Encourages innovation and ownership.
Limitations:
May not resolve deep structural issues alone.
Example from my experience: We manage customer data in Excel, and even though it’s manual, it works well. Instead of switching to a complicated CRM, we automated some steps and connected our data for real-time updates. This improved what we already had, which is a good example of solution-focused thinking.
The same mindset can be applied to other projects, focus on enhancing existing processes rather than overhauling systems, which can disrupt work. By identifying and amplifying what already works, businesses can achieve significant improvements with minimal disruption.
Solution-Focused Principles to remember:
Start with the end in mind.
Build on what already exists.
Remember that the future is negotiable.
Small changes can create big improvements.
Putting it into practice: A project I am leading as an example
I lead one of our department’s biggest initiatives, the Insiders Program, where users provide feedback to help shape our products. Recruitment has been strong, but we are now facing challenges with user engagement, visibility across the organization about the program, users’ data quality, and manual processes.
Using these challenges, we can see how each OD approach would guide us differently:
Traditional OD approach
A traditional OD approach would start by diagnosing the situation through interviews, data analysis, and a careful look at why engagement has dropped or visibility is limited.
After finding the root causes, we would design structured solutions like redefining governance, setting up formal reporting lines, building dashboards, and training stakeholders.
This is effective for addressing deeper, systemic issues, but can feel heavy and time-consuming.
Solution-Focused OD approach
The solution-focused approach starts by looking at what is already working, such as high recruitment numbers, engaged users, and strong stakeholder relationships.
Then we ask how to build on these successes. Instead of fixing every gap at once, we make minor, achievable improvements, such as quick communication wins, simple automation, or sharing success stories to boost visibility.
This approach creates momentum and keeps the team motivated.
Hybrid approach
Often, the best solution is to combine both approaches. We can use Solution-Focused OD to maintain momentum, celebrate successes, and make small, quick improvements that keep the team motivated.
At the same time, we can apply Traditional OD for deeper, structural changes that take more time, such as redesigning governance, improving data quality, or building dashboards.
By blending the two, we get the best of both worlds, progress and positivity in the short term, and sustainable, systemic improvements in the long term.
Now, let’s look at how the Organizational Development theory can be applied in Personal Development!
OD principles in everyday life
OD lessons aren’t just for work, they can guide how we approach challenges in life:
1. Time management
Traditional: Analyze distractions, tools, priorities - create a detailed schedule.
Solution-focused: Build on peak productivity times and celebrate small wins.
Example: I’m productive after my gym session, so I schedule important tasks then instead of overhauling my whole day.
2. Health & fitness
Traditional: Track diet, calories, workouts.
Solution-focused: Amplify habits that work, like daily walks.
Example: I enjoy afternoon walks, and gradually extending these sessions helps me stay consistent.
3. Relationships
Traditional: Examine conflicts and triggers.
Solution-focused: Recognize moments of connection and increase them.
Example: After coffee chats, my relationship with a colleague improves, so I increase those positive interactions.
4. Learning a new skill
Traditional: Identify weaknesses - create structured practice.
Solution-focused: Build on strengths, what you are already good at.
Example: I’m not great at “reading the room,” but I know my empathy is strong, so I leverage it to improve interactions naturally.
In short:
Traditional OD equals fixing what’s broken (analyze and plan).
Solution-Focused OD equals growing what works (leverage strengths, take small steps).
Life hybrid equals starting with small wins using the solution-focused approach, then adding more detailed planning from the traditional approach to make changes last.
Conclusion
Understanding Traditional vs. Solution-Focused OD helps leaders, project managers, and even individuals pick the right strategy for each situation. In both projects and life, starting with small wins while addressing bigger challenges helps build momentum and drives meaningful progress.
Whether you’re managing a large project or improving your own habits, the lesson is the same. Focus on solutions, build on your strengths, and take actionable steps toward the future you want.
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Helen Jun Chen, Guest Writer
Helen Jun Chen (pen name: CJ. Helen) is a storyteller and project management professional with a multicultural background. Through her reflections, she shares real stories and practical tips to inspire professionals to find balance and clarity in their careers and personal growth. Her work explores themes of productivity, workplace insights, and emotional well-being. She believes that true success comes from thriving both professionally and personally.
