The Useful Problems

We all hope that our business (and our lives) will run smoothly, 100% of the time. But, we know that’s not going to happen. Eventually, things are going to happen. Stuff’s going to break. Shit’s going to hit the fan, and we’re going to have to deal with the aftermath. While having to fix things will often be a headache, and even though we may not be able to see it in the moment, most problems also come with a silver lining.

I know it sounds stupid, but yes, I’m saying that it can be a good thing to have problems.

Problems can serve a greater purpose. They can be the impetus for change, pushing us to make things better than they currently are.

If we have a problem with someone not understanding the information we’re trying to convey, maybe we need to make it easier for people to understand.

If someone is complaining because their (unreasonable) expectations were not met, maybe we need to do a better job of aligning their expectations with reality (before they have a chance to complain).

If someone feels that they’ve been taken advantage of and haven’t gotten value for their dollar, maybe we need to up our game and provide more value than was expected.

Yes, problems will often prove to be a source of frustration in our lives and our businesses. But if we look at them as opportunities to get better at what it is we do, we may be able to better ourselves, better our products, and lessen the chance of having to deal with those same problems in the future.

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