{"id":38133,"date":"2019-10-31T22:21:51","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T19:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prohoster.info\/blog\/fenomen-xy-kak-izbezhat-nepravilnyh-problem\/"},"modified":"2019-10-31T22:21:51","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T19:21:51","slug":"fenomen-xy-kak-izbezhat-nepravilnyh-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prohoster.info\/en\/blog\/news\/fenomen-xy-kak-izbezhat-nepravilnyh-problem","title":{"rendered":"The XY Phenomenon: How to Avoid 'Incorrect' Problems","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever thought about how many hours, months, and even lives have been wasted trying to solve the \"wrong\" problems? <\/p>\n

\"The
\n<\/a><\/noindex>
\nOnce, some people started complaining that they had to wait an unbearable amount of time for the elevator. Others were worried about these complaints and spent a lot of time, effort, and money trying to improve the elevator's performance and reduce wait times. But the initial problem lay elsewhere \u2013 \"people started complaining.\"<\/p>\n

The real solution to the problem was installing large mirrors in the lobby of that very building. Watching their own reflection while waiting for the elevator turned out to be quite an engaging activity, and the number of complaints about slow elevators dropped sharply. <\/p>\n

The XY Problem Phenomenon<\/h2>\n

\nIn 2001, American developer Eric Steven Raymond coined the term \"XY problem\" for this phenomenon. <\/p>\n

The XY problem often occurs between the end user and the developer, the client and the contractor, or simply between one person and another. <\/p>\n

In simple terms, the XY problem arises when we start fixing\/helping at the wrong place, going in from the wrong end. This leads to a loss of time and energy for both the people seeking help and those providing it. <\/p>\n

How to Get Caught in the XY Problem: A Step-by-Step Guide for Users<\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The user needs to solve Problem X.<\/li>\n
  2. The user doesn't know how to solve Problem X but thinks they can fix it by completing action Y. <\/li>\n
  3. The user also doesn't know how to perform action Y.<\/li>\n
  4. When seeking help, the user asks for assistance with Y. <\/li>\n
  5. Everyone tries to help the user with action Y, even though Y seems like a strange problem to tackle.<\/li>\n
  6. After many iterations and wasted time, it turns out that the user actually wanted to solve Problem X. <\/li>\n
  7. The worst part is that performing action Y wouldn't have been a suitable solution for X. Everyone is tearing their hair out, exclaiming, \"I gave you the best years of my life,\" while burning each other with their gazes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \nOften, the XY problem arises when people get fixated on the minor details of their issue and what they personally believe to be the solution. As a result, they cannot step back and explain the problem in a comprehensive way.<\/p>\n

    In Russia, this is referred to as the 'Hammer Error.'<\/h2>\n

    \nIteration No. 1.
    \n\"The
    \nIteration No. 100500.<\/b>\"The
    \n<\/p>\n

    Photo authors: Nikolai Volynkin, Alexander Barakin (license: Hammer Error<\/a><\/noindex>, CC BY).<\/a><\/noindex><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    <\/p>\n

    How to tell if you\u2019re facing an XY problem<\/h2>\n

    \nExperience, skill, and common signs can help you identify that an XY problem is approaching.<\/p>\n

    Pay attention to what and how people speak. Typically, discussions of 'incorrect' problems start with phrases like: <\/p>\n