The Next Big Idea Daily

How to Solve Problems Before They Happen

43 snips
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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INSIGHT

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.
INSIGHT

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.
ANECDOTE

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.
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