Todd Conklin interviews Martha Acosta, a pioneer in human performance and instructional design, about using organizational "pain points" and paradoxes as early indicators of system failures. They discuss why near misses and workplace frustrations are valuable signals and how leaders can turn those tensions into opportunities for learning and improvement.The episode offers practical advice for managers: be present, look for pressure points across roles, and treat minor pains as diagnostic cues to prevent larger incidents. Martha translates high-level ideas into actionable steps leaders can use tomorrow.