The problem with people without problems

You’ve worked with them. Perhaps you’ve even been them. The people who claim “there are no problems, only opportunities”. This needs to stop. Putting your head in the sand doesn’t make the tiger go away.

Problems are the interesting bits. Where the plans collide with reality. Solving problems is what we do. Solving problems is the only fun part about our jobs! Issues don’t solve themselves because we reframe them. But they might if we talk about them.

Fuck all the people who tell you there are no problems.

If the connotations of the word makes them wet their bed, they have bigger problems than language in the workplace.

I’m not saying that the connotations of words have no power. Words have great power and choosing the right ones is very important. But if your organisation is stumped by the connotations of one word accurately describing reality, than there is a severe lack of direction.

If you trade a swearword for “sugar”, you’ve only moved the angry connotation about. You haven’t stopped swearing. You’ll find yourself sounding crazy instead of mad.

We need to stop recoiling from the realities of the world, and of our work. Words have power. But so do actions. Deal with it. Learn to work with problems.