Fresh new problems today!
Wait, that’s not emblazoned on a neon pink sign outside your shop?? Isn’t that what we do in business all day long, solve problems? If problems don’t get you excited and energized, it’s time to reorient your mindset towards them.
If you’re a climber, you’ll love this. If not, stick with me—I promise it’ll make sense. In bouldering (climbing short walls without ropes), every route is called a problem. The goal? Get to the top, of course! You can see where you’re headed, but the path isn’t always clear. There are multiple ways to climb each route, but obstacles—awkward holds, tough reaches, and tricky foot placements—stand in your way.
The attempt is the whole point. You can do a little bit of planning, maybe chat with nearby climbers about what they’ve tried (we call this “beta”). But the best way to get your intel is to just give it a go. In improvement kata terms, we call this “running to the target condition”: attempt the route, and see where you fall down. If you make it all the way up on the first try, congratulations – but you’ve set your target too easy, and it’s time to pick a new route!
More often, you’ll fall (or jump) down. And that’s where the real work begins.
Falling down is a chance to reset
We’ve all heard the “fail fast” mantras of the tech giants — they try to encourage rapid, frequent testing of ideas, so they can figure out what works faster. However, there is no guarantee that failing (or falling, in this analogy) will lead to learning. When you’re lying on the mat after a fall, you get the chance to assess what happened, so you can intentionally adjust your approach on the next try. What worked? Keep doing it. Lock in those gains. Where did you fall? Pinpoint the exact obstacle.
Will this work? We’re about to find out…
In climbing, the obstacles might be related to distance, grip, leverage, or balance. For the same missed move, climbers might have entirely different obstacles, which therefore leads to a customized plan for their next attempt. If one person’s obstacle was that they couldn’t even reach the next hold, while one person got their hand on it and just couldn’t hang on long enough, they’re going to have a very a different solution. This precision about the exact nature of an obstacle helps us design a next experiment that is very targeted.
Avoid "spaghetti-at-the-wall" problem-solving
In business, many people skip the crucial step of fully understanding the obstacle. Instead, they throw solutions at the wall, hoping one sticks. It’s like building finger strength when better foot positioning would do the trick, or leaping for a hold when a slight shift in balance would close the gap more safely. We put too much effort into the next go, because we don’t have the patience to fine-tune our approach.
This trial-and-error approach wastes time, energy, and resources. To hone in your next step, narrow your focus to the immediate obstacle. Design an experiment just for that move, test it, and refine based on what you learn. There might be a whole list of other things you are worried about relative to this route (or business challenge), but if you can’t make it to the next hold, you’re never going to get too the top, so don’t worry too much about those distant concerns until they are truly relevant to your course.
When the route is too hard
Sometimes, the problem is that the route itself is beyond your current capabilities. That’s okay — it happens in work and climbing alike. Recognizing this is a skill in itself. Instead of forcing your way through and suffering numerous cuts and bruises, take a step back, reassess, and choose a challenge that stretches you but doesn’t overwhelm you.
The true value of problem-solving
As world-class climber Shauna Coxsey wisely said, “My success is not very useful to anyone. What I learn along the way is.”
The same goes for business. You might get some tips on whatever problem you face by watching someone’s YouTube video on what they did in a similar situation, but I bet it’s not going to be all that helpful. Facing your own problems with optimism, action, and reflection will give you far more opportunity to learn, improve, and innovate. Success is sweet, but it’s the lessons you teach yourself from the failed attempts and regrouping that drive long-term resilience and growth.
So maybe it’s time to embrace your inner climber. Hang up that neon pink sign, and celebrate the fresh new problems that keep your business climbing to greater heights.