Developers love solving a solution. Unfortunately their eagerness can get in the way of understanding the problem. When I'm with a client I sometimes ask a simple question such as "Do you have any post-its?" I'm careful not to say I want some post-its. I simply ask if they have any. I could be asking the question because I think not-having post-its is an indicator of something else - in the same way that not-having whiteboards is an indicator of something else.
Often they start searching for post-its. I politely stop them and say that I don't want any post-its - I simply want to know if they have any. My aim is to increase their own awareness of solving the solution before probleming the problem.
