The French do not take problems at face value. They assume that beneath the surface issue lies a deeper structure—underlying causes, systemic factors, embedded assumptions—that must be uncovered. When presenting a problem, expect questions that probe beneath your initial framing.
What is really going on? Why is this happening now? What assumptions are we making?
This interrogation is not obstruction; it is the conviction that effective solutions require understanding root causes. Be prepared to discuss the problématique—the underlying tensions or questions that define the problem’s structure. Show that you have thought about what lies beneath the obvious. French colleagues respect those who can analyze problems in depth, who see layers others miss. Surface-level problem statements are starting points for analysis, not adequate formulations.
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