Do we really have a problem?

When my junior colleagues approached me and said, "Sir we have a problem".

I used to immediately ask, "What is the problem?"

That was it, then I was in a big trouble. Then a lot of my precious time would be consumed in listening to loads of moaning and whining.

Unfortunately, the reward for good work is more work. If you are good at solving issues, you are inundated with more issues to tackle.

So I became a magnet for problems and issues. Initially one gets excited about the ability to tackle issues, after sometime one begins to tire and then frustration sets in which turns into rage.

Frustration often leads to depression and that is unhelpful and rage is a kind of insanity and highly self destructive.

Many clients also often tell me, "You know the problem is ......... " or "You don't understand what the problem is."

They are probably right, I do not understand. The greater issue is, that they themselves also do not know or understand what the problem is.

So I calmly analysed the situation, and developed a simple but effective approach to problem solving. Simply put, that problem which cannot be defined, cannot be solved.

We first need to clarify, 'what is a problem?'

A problem is something that obstructs you from getting from point 'A' to point 'B'.

Most people have no idea where they are and where they want to go. Even if they do know they have difficulty in identifying what is obstructing them.

I simply say, "If you do not know where you are, where you want to go and what is obstructing you, then you really do not have a problem. You may have concerns, apprehensions, opinions, probably an excuse, but definitely no problem".

Trying to solve problems that do not exist, in my opinion is one of the greatest maladies of mankind. Sadly this malady afflicts the intelligent more than the stupid.

Comments

Office Efficiency - Central Social Institution, Prague, 1937

The offices of the Central Social Institution of Prague, Czechoslovakia. April 1937 “The offices of the Central Social Institution of Prague, Czechoslovakia with the largest vertical letter file in the world. Consisting of cabinets arranged from floor to ceiling tiers covering over 4000 square feet containing over 3000 drawers 10 feet long. It has electric operated elevator desks which rise, fall and move left or right at the push of a button. to stop just before drawer desired. The drawers also open and close electronically. Thus work which formerly taxed 400 workers is now done by 20 with a minimum of effort. Ref: B196_095071_3660 Date: 26.04.1937 Compulsory Credit: UPPA/Photoshot”

You have to play the game to win it.

In life its not sufficient to be merely efficient but to also be effective. Someone once asked my father Man Singh ji, 'What is the secret of your success?' He remarked, "I do not always make right decisions. I make decisions, and then almost always make them right" Read more ..........

The neck of the bottle is always at the top.

F requently requested to assist organisations large and small, I observe a common and recurring theme. The issues revolve around the struggle of owners /managers to manage effectively. This is visible predominantly in companies that have started small and are growing, in family run businesses and families themselves. They are invariably puzzled that management approach, style and methods which worked so well in the past, now just don't work anymore. They resort to even more hard work and effort, yet the situation only worsens. Finding themselves in unfamiliar situations they dart here and there implementing fads, half hearted strategies alien to their thinking and character. They do this because they are getting frustrated and doing something is considered better than doing nothing. They change staff and managers. They churn product mix, vendors and even customers and markets. They try so many things but nothing seems to work. They chang...

Enigma Solution

Search This Blog