You are bombarded with problems on a regular basis. Each week presents new challenges as a pastor and leader that you will need to address. And many times, those challenges need an answer now! How will you fix the problem that a staff member, a community leader or a concerned member brings to you — and fix it fast?

It’s not always the smart thing to fix a problem fast. Oftentimes, quick fixes aren’t long-term solutions. You may think you’re eliminating a problem when you’re just kicking it down the road or passing the buck for someone else to handle. We need to give each problem the attention it deserves and make a wise decision each time.

But we do need to address some problems immediately rather than putting them off until later. There is a way to fix problems fast and fix them right. When we ask the right questions on the front end, we can get to the right solutions more quickly. It not only saves us time, but helps us avoid headaches and keep the problems from compounding.

Here are four questions you can ask, every time you face a problem, to fix it, fix it right and fix it fast.

What’s the Real Problem?

Until you know the real problem, you will never find the best solution. It’s like treating a virus. If all you do is address the symptoms — a headache, a runny nose or a cough — but never attack the root cause, you’ll never get better. Find out the real problem before you start offering solutions.

Let me give you an example. Imagine one day your preschool pastor comes into your office and announces she has to quit. This is a problem because she’s a hard worker and has been loyal for years. You ask what the problem is, and she says the job is taking her away from her family too much. If you left it at that, you may empathize with your preschool pastor and accept her resignation.

But let’s say you ask her what the real problem is. You do some more digging to find out what’s changed to bring her to this point. The preschool pastor tells you that she has been coming in on Saturdays to finish up her work from the week, and she’s missed several of her son’s soccer games. That’s not good. But you’re still not at the real problem yet. The more of the picture you see, the better handle you can get on it.

For your preschool pastor, the symptom was stress at home due to spending her Saturdays at the church. But the real problem could be many different things. Why does she have to come in on her day off? Maybe it’s a time management issue on her part. Or perhaps there’s a breakdown in delegation.

Good leaders will always want to fix problems.

You may have given the preschool pastor an ambiguous job description, and she’s been pulled in too many different directions. The more you keep digging, the better the solution because you’ll be addressing the real problem and not a set of symptoms.

What Do You Want to Happen?

As you start searching for the real problem, ask the person to explain his or her ideal solution. It may not be attainable, but it sets the expectations from the start. In the above scenario, your preschool pastor may want to take two half days during the week to make up for the time on Saturdays. If you’re OK with a flexible staff schedule, then problem solved!

When someone brings you a problem, understanding the person’s desired outcome can go a long way toward setting realistic expectations. The individual gets a chance to tell you what he or she expects from you, and you can either promise to deliver or let the person know it’s likely impossible.

Your ideal outcome to a problem may be better than what the person expects, in which case the solution will be even easier. But if you try to fix a problem with no expectations, you may be tugging on opposite ends of the same rope.

What Have You Already Done?

This is a crucial step in the process because it keeps you from repeating a solution that hasn’t worked. You can also uncover new problems that arose from bad fixes. If you know what has already been attempted, it gives you an idea of the depth of the problem as well.

Whenever anyone brings a problem to me, I also ask for at least one solution. It may not be the best solution. It may be too expensive or time consuming. But it shows me that the individual is at least personally invested in finding a fix. I’m a lot more ready and willing to help someone who shows initiative than a person who is always asking me to put out their fires.

What’s the Next Step?

To fix a problem fast, you don’t need to have the whole solution ready to go. But you do need to know the next step. That means that for any solution, you must take it one step at a time. It may require applying a fix, seeing whether it works, and then trying something new. Trial and error is the best way to fix a problem fast.

Sometimes a problem seems bigger than it is because you don’t know the first step. Once you devise a plan of action, you may come to the solution a lot quicker than you expected. But you’ll never fix a problem fast until you know the first step and take it. Hesitation is the enemy of good solutions.

Good leaders will always want to fix problems. It’s in our DNA as servants. Of course, we don’t have the time or ability to fix every problem. But having a sure-fire process for fixing some problems fast allows you to keep your desk clear and the momentum going. It also instills your people with resilience and ownership, which are keys to growth in any area.