We all know about problems. There are too many that exist right now to not know about problems that governments, companies and people are trying to solve. But do we understand the problem? Do we understand and appreciate all the intricacies and minutia that go into the problem? Do we grasp the context that is forming the problem and the data that is outlining what it is and what must be done to resolve it?…
Factors change. Results come in. Experiments succeed and fail. What you thought you knew was the problem, might not have been the problem at all. Don’t get frustrated or even worse, give up. Step back, rethink the problem, approach it from a different angle. Move forward.
In fact they are getting harderer and the more you keep ignoring them, the more you keep brushing them under the rug, the more you keep pushing them to the side, the harder it gets to have the conversation. When everyone was on-site (that sounds better than on-premise) you could linger in the conference room and have that side chat to discuss the outcome of the meeting and next steps. But that rarely happens in…
As far as expressions go, Sweeping it under the Rug is one of those sayings that bring up images of covering things up, hiding “stuff” or worst, simply ignoring what happened and moving on. There is a great episode of the Simpsons where Homer is put in charge of garbage and keeps sweeping the garbage under the rug (i.e., the city) until it explodes from golf courses and manholes. That’s what happens when you don’t…
A problem on the team, is a team problem to solve. It’s not one person’s problem. It’s not the people most familiar with the problem. It’s the entire team. If your team isn’t owning the problem, if they don’t all feel that sense of ownership and need to do something to make it better. Then they are not owning it. And if your team isn’t owning it, that just became your new problem. Why won’t…