When asked “how” to approach a problem they perceive as challenging, I often ask back: “why?”

Why are you solving this problem in the first place?

If someone knows the answer to “why”, then they almost always already know the answer to how and are really just looking for affirmation or a sanity check.

If someone don’t know the answer to “why” yet, I point them down that path and ask them to return when they have an idea.

In both cases, I’m asking the seeker to look into themselves for the answer. It’s transformative.