When a Problem’s Really an Opportunity
Recently I spoke with a consultant I know. He’s working with a new client, a big one. And when he got a peek under their hood, he was shocked by how dysfunctional he perceived them to be. We’re talking a real big company that didn’t have some very basic ducks in a row.
As my associate ran down his laundry list of things he thought the company was doing wrong, I stopped him and asked:
“What was this company’s revenue last year?”
He cited a large number…a VERY large number.
I said, “Given revenue like that, let’s hold off before we pile on them too hard. Clearly they’re doing something right.”
A helpful reframe
Too often we’re quick to judgment—especially us IT people. We’re natural problem solvers, which means we’re also bloodhounds for seeing imperfections. And when we do, we want to point it out so we can save the day.
Unfortunately, arriving on the scene and telling our stakeholders all the things they’re doing wrong won’t make us any allies in the business. Not only is this annoying, but even when we’re technically correct about these mistakes we could be losing sight of the bigger, rosier picture.
So the next time you identify yet another obvious problem your stakeholders have let slide, pause and:
- Make equal note of what they’re getting right. Consider how your areas of concern may not carry the weight you think they do. A lot of little problems may not add up to total performance failure.
- Then thank your lucky stars you work for an organization with such clear and tangible areas of improvement. These problems are the reason you have a job. They give you the opportunity to make a big, positive impact for your organization. It’s easier to increase your company’s performance by fixing a clearly flawed system, than by trying to make marginal improvements on a well-oiled machine.
Carry this mindset shift with you into your next meeting—discuss what’s working before what isn’t, and focus on the impact of fixes over the fault of failures—and notice how much more receptive the business will be to your concerns.
