The Vending Machine Method: Solving the Right Problems First

The Vending Machine Method for solving problems

Most organisations don’t suffer from a lack of effort.
They suffer from a lack of focus.

There are always more problems than there is time, energy, or attention to solve them. And when everything feels important, teams often end up fixing symptoms — the visible, noisy issues — rather than the deeper causes that quietly create many of those problems in the first place.

This is where clarity matters most.

In this Cultivated Notes video, I share a simple workshop exercise I use with teams who feel stuck, stretched, or misaligned: the Vending Machine Method.

It’s a physical, visual way to decide what really deserves attention — and what doesn’t.

Watch the Video (Read on below)

In the video below, I walk through the Vending Machine Method step by step, sharing how I use it in workshops and why it consistently helps teams move from noise to focus.

Why Most Problem-Solving Falls Short

When organisations talk about problems, a few patterns tend to show up:

• long, unprioritised lists
• debates about urgency rather than importance
• solutions proposed before problems are fully understood
• energy spread thin across too many initiatives

The result is motion without progress.

People stay busy, but value doesn’t emerge.

The Vending Machine Method is designed to interrupt this pattern — not with more analysis, but with focus and shared understanding.

From Current Reality to a Compelling Future

At the heart of the exercise is a simple question:

If the future we want is so compelling, why aren’t we already there?

That gap — between current reality and a clear painted picture — generates problems.

But not all problems are equal.

The Vending Machine creates an intentional constraint:
only six problems are allowed.

This forces prioritisation. It surfaces trade-offs. It invites real conversation. It asks you to get to the root causes and add those in.

And because the problems are named, visible, and tangible, teams build a deeper connection to them than they would through a slide deck or spreadsheet.

What Goes Into Each “Vend”

Each problem is treated like a product in a vending machine — something people must actively choose to invest in.

On the front:

• a clear name
• a short description
• language everyone can recognise and agree on

Naming matters. It gives the problem an identity and a shared language.

On the back:

1. How do we know this is a problem?
   Evidence, data, insights, metrics — the signals that tell us it exists.
2. Why must we solve it?
   The human and organisational cost of leaving it unresolved.
3. What might solve it?
   Not a single silver bullet, but multiple possible solutions — inviting creativity rather than certainty.

This shifts the conversation from blame to learning, and from opinion to intent.

Why the Physical Nature Matters

This exercise works precisely because it isn’t abstract.

When people build something together — even out of paper and cardboard — they engage differently. They talk more openly. They listen more carefully. They feel ownership.

The room changes. Engagement increases. People connect. A shared sense of investment arises. People have fun.

Clarity emerges not because someone presented the “right” answer, but because the activity made it easier to see, feel, and decide together.

Clarity Creates Value

Once a problem is clearly named, understood, and chosen, action becomes simpler.

Energy flows in one direction.
Progress becomes visible.
Momentum builds.

You vend a problem, work on it, address it properly, and move on — returning to refill the machine only when it makes sense.

Not every problem needs solving immediately.
But every problem worth solving needs clarity.

If you take one thing from this exercise, let it be this:

When everything feels broken, the first act of leadership isn’t fixing more things —
it’s deciding what truly matters now.

Clarity creates alignment.
Alignment creates momentum.
And momentum creates value.