Start With 'What,' Not 'How'

Advice often starts with how.

• How to prioritize your efforts.
• How to reach a goal.
• How to launch a business.

But when people face a challenge, how is often the wrong place to start. It assumes an approach without understanding what the problem is.

Sometimes the problem is pressure from everyday life. You have too many important decisions to make. Too many things to do at once. Too many opinions to reconcile.

Sometimes the problem is finishing something that matters. You have important ideas and goals, but you never quite finish them. You’re busy, but progress is uneven. You’re halfway done, but you run out of time, money, or interest.

And sometimes the problem is the sheer size of what must be done. The work involves many people, moving parts, resources and expectations. And it lasts for months and months.

These are three different problems that need three different overall approaches:

• Techniques to deal with everyday pressures.
• Steps to achieve something important.
• Structure to coordinate many people working on something big.

Start by understanding what the problem is. Then decide how to proceed using either a simple technique, coordinated steps, or an integrated structure.

From PMEZ’s FINISH LINE approach