Page 414 - Ray Dalio - Principles

and chronic bad outcomes that could get you fired. So
remember one of the first principles of management: You need
to look at the feedback you’re getting on your machine and

either fix your problems or escalate them, if need be, over and
over again. There is no easier alternative than bringing
problems to the surface and putting them in the hands of good
problem solvers.

a. Understand that problems with good, planned solutions in place are
completely different from those without such solutions. Unidentified
problems are the worst; identified problems without planned

solutions are better, but worse for morale; identified problems
with a good planned solution are better still; and solved
problems are best. It’s really important to know which
category a problem belongs to. The metrics you use to track
the progress of your solution should be so clear and intuitive
that they are obvious extensions of the plan.

b. Think of the problems you perceive in a machinelike way. There are

three steps to doing this well: First, note the problem; then
determine who the RPs to raise it to are; and finally decide
when the right time to discuss it is. In other words: what, who,
when. Then follow through.