
The Next Big Idea Daily How to Solve Problems Before They Happen
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Jan 16, 2026 Dan Heath, renowned for his insights on decision-making, discusses how effective leaders prevent issues before they arise. He emphasizes the need for upstream thinking, especially in healthcare, where most efforts address symptoms rather than root causes. Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, a creativity consultant, stresses the importance of reframing problems. His strategies reveal how adjusting our perspective can spark innovative solutions, encouraging collaboration to uncover fresh insights. Together, they illuminate a proactive approach to problem-solving.
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Shift From Reaction To Prevention
- We spend most effort reacting to problems instead of preventing them upstream.
- Dan Heath shows upstream work stops recurring crises by fixing root causes before they cascade.
Prevention Lacks Visible Rewards
- Upstream work rarely earns visible credit even when it prevents harm.
- Dan Heath argues organizations reward downstream, measurable actions over invisible prevention.
Expedia's 20 Million Itinerary Calls
- Expedia logged 20 million calls for itineraries because organizational silos left nobody responsible for preventing those calls.
- Small fixes across teams (IVR option, email tweaks, self-service) removed the need for millions of support calls.








