The XY ProblemUpdated 2 years ago
The "XY problem" comes up a lot in our lives and, like a lot of things, simply having a name for it can make it easier to spot and deal with in the wild.
What is the XY Problem?
The XY problem is asking about your attempted solution rather than your actual problem. That is, you are trying to solve problem X, and you think solution Y would work, but instead of asking about X when you run into trouble, you ask about Y.
The Problem
This can lead to frustration by people who are trying to help you solve the problem because by the time you ask about it, the solution that you need help with might not have any obvious connections to the problem that you are trying to solve.
How to Avoid
As a help seeker:
To avoid falling into this trap, always include information about a broader picture along with any attempted solution. If someone asks for more information, or especially a more specific question, do provide details. If there are other solutions which you believe will be suggested and which you've already ruled out, then don't try to avoid going over them again – instead state why you've ruled them out, as this gives more information about your requirements and helps others provide better answers.
As a helper:
Ask "What problem are you trying to solve?".
The 5 Whys technique can be a good way to get at the real problem (X). Essentially you just ask "why" enough times to get down the the actual problem that requires a solution... THEN you start to assemble the best solution possible.
Simple Example of the XY Problem
My 8yo daughter at home asks "Dad, where are the scissors?"...
There are 2 options:
There are 2 options:
- "The scissors are in the drawer"
or - "Why do you need the scissors?" ... then help her solve that problem. Scissors (Y) may or may not be the best solution for the Problem (X).
Real Life Support Example of the XY Problem
Customer: Can you help me convert a PDF into a Word Doc?
Help Desk: What problem are you trying to solve?
Customer: I have a PDF we created for our Clients and we need to make changes to it?
Help Desk: The PDF was most-likely created from a Word Doc ... Why not just edit the original Word Doc and go from there?
Customer: I can't find the original Word Doc
Help Desk: Would you like help in locating the Word Doc?
Customer: Yes
Help Desk: *searching Sharepoint* --- Found it for you
X - The Real Problem: Employee was unable to locate the original Word Doc
Y - The Misleading Proposed Solution: Find a way to convert a PDF file into a Word Doc so that we can edit and republish an
updated PDF