Problems Are Forever!

This posts ‘celebrates’ problems. It highlights 6 perspectives that hopefully provides a refreshingly new take on how you approach your solutions.

1. Exponential and continued increase of information is likely to result in a significant increase in the number and complexity of problems. That information is panacea is a cliche. But information being the source of problems may be a surprise! Not if you acknowledge that some of the world’s most pressing problems have come to the surface today because we have new information. Given the rate of growth of information in the world, more problems will surface. Are we evolving our solutions fast enough?

 2. The problems that get the most attention are the ones that cause a lot of damage or the ones that have a defined ‘owner’ (because we have someone to blame!). However, our definition of the extent of damage is warped. Slow damage is grossly discounted. And most significant problems seldom have any one ‘owner’. No wonder climate change, obesity etc. continue to haunt us.

 3. It is a myth that tougher problems require more time, effort and resources. The thought never crosses our mind to look for a simpler, cost effective, resourceful solution unless we have a constraint. Self-imposed constraints may well be a strong prime to look for simpler solutions.

 4. The role of 'skill' over 'will' in solving problems is highly over-rated. In many situations, experience actually could result in an over-engineered solution. You are obsessed with how much you know that you think what you know is what it should take to solve the problem. You become resilient to simpler solutions e.g. try consulting an Ear-Nose-Throat specialist the next time you have a cough – do you think you will be asked to do some gargling or sent for a blood test?

 5. Our attitude to the most complex problems is to ignore them until they occur versus preparing to take them on. For instance, parents hardly speak to their kids about happiness. Young couples are never coached on what it means to live together before they start on the journey. Businesses never mentor an employee before assigning her/him a direct report. We are least prepared for the most obvious and omnipresent problems!

 6. Strength is rarely perceived as a problem. When it is, new opportunities can be unlocked.

 If you add one more to this list, I could change the 'Valentine ish' caption inspired by today (14th) into something more business-like e.g. 7 Habits of Problems!