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The 3 Types of Root Cause (BET)

April 1, 2026

Every workplace situation falls into one of three root causes. We call it BET.


BBehavior
Individual motivation and/or capability.


EEnvironment
Internal or external conditions influencing results.


TTask / Technology
Systems, processes, and workflows


That’s it.

Every performance issue… or success.
Every engagement issue… or strength.
Every execution breakdown… or efficiency.



⚠️ Here’s the rule most leaders miss:

  • No response works if it doesn’t match the root cause.  
  • Behavior issues and opportunities require a Behavior solution.  
  • Environment issues and opportunities require an Environment solution.  
  • Task issues and opportunities require a Task solution.



Sounds obvious yet leaders are getting it wrong about 50% of the time.

And when we overuse our “favorite” approach, we create expensive
misdiagnoses.

Before your next decision, ask: Is this a B, E, or T issue?


Clarity here changes everything. Contact us to learn more about this step in our PRO-daptive® Leadership process.

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