We often know the “answer” to our own problems. For example, if we are overweight, it’s not only unlikely that we are unaware of the risks of obesity or the benefits of a healthy BMI, but we probably also know well what we could do to reduce our weight and be more healthy.

The same is true when we try to solve problems in our business – we know when some decisions or behaviors aren’t beneficial or cost us.

Maybe we don’t have perfect clarity on the 100%-true exact right answer to absolutely everything and every hypothetical variation connected to a problem. But we do know that we can do more (or less) that would help improve the problem.

So progress comes from not knowing how (eat better and exercise more) but from exploring why (did I really just eat that entire pizza?)

Solving problems in business is complex. Human behavior – what determines how a business performs – can be messy, confusing, and unpredictable, just like us.

If we can make progress and understand a little of the why, then it’s easier and more straightforward to execute the how, and knowing why we do something is necessary to make the how possible.