Sometimes, simple answers reveal deeper problems.
How often have you asked someone why they do a task a certain way and heard:
“That’s just how we’ve always done it.”
It’s a familiar reply. It’s also a red flag.
On the surface, it sounds harmless, maybe even reasonable. But beneath it often lies circular thinking, passive execution, and unexamined habits. In most cases, it’s not the task itself that’s broken. It’s the lack of clarity behind it.
That kind of answer is rarely the root cause. It’s a symptom. And when you start pulling on that thread, you often find foundational issues that quietly slow teams down and limit performance.
Sometimes the issue began with onboarding. The employee never received a clear explanation of what the task was for, just a set of steps to follow. Without context, they’re just completing motions, not contributing as informed team members.
Sometimes it’s a training gap. The employee knows what to do, but not why. They haven’t seen how their task fits into the bigger picture, so they can’t suggest improvements or spot breakdowns upstream or downstream.
Sometimes it’s a management issue. No one followed up. No one asked for feedback or reviewed the training. The manager may not have realized there was a gap at all, or may not have addressed it when they did.
And sometimes, the problem runs all the way up to leadership. The company culture doesn’t encourage questions. It rewards routine. It values execution over understanding. Or maybe the culture is well-intended but hasn’t been clearly communicated or reinforced.
None of this is irreversible. Once spotted, these issues are usually straightforward to fix.
Sometimes all it takes is a better question. Asking “Why is this step necessary?” or “What outcome is this meant to support?” can open the door to conversations that routine rarely invites. Good tools help, but the right questions often expose what the tools miss.
More context. Better onboarding. Smarter training. Regular check-ins. A few simple shifts can turn passive task-doers into engaged problem-solvers. And when people understand why they’re doing something, not just how, it shows. In morale. In quality. In outcomes.
As a manager or leader, it’s your responsibility not to accept “That’s just how we do it” without context. The job is to question habits, clarify reasoning, and ensure the process still serves the goal.
Because answers like that aren’t the end of the conversation. They’re the start of a better one.