Once upon a time, I worked with a guy with a major attitude problem. Among other things, he had issues identifying the line between professional and ‘inappropriate at the workplace’ behavior and, somehow, it was always “someone else’s fault” when his projects went sideways… which was most of the time.

Human Resources met with him and indicated he had “opportunity for improvement.”

Opportunity?!

Yes, and the RMS Titanic had “navigational opportunities and iceberg challenges!”

HR sugar-coated his problem by labeling it an “opportunity.” This guy was a die-hard smart ass with Tourette syndrome-like tendencies who destructed more than he built.

Labeling his problem an opportunity was “making lemonade out of lemons.”

But sometimes…

When life gives you lemons, you chop down the tree.

Don’t disguise the problem. Fix it. Go to the source – the root of the problem.

In this case, no one wanted the dirty job of ‘fixing the problem’ with this employee. While you don’t want to crush someone’s spirit by calling them a ‘problem,’ HR was doing him a disservice by not helping him either, fix his problem, or fire him so he could find a more suitable place to work.

A Problem With The Word “Problem”

The word “problem” has become a problem. At some point, it was collectively decided that “problem” meant dead-end and failure. By re-branding them as opportunities, it gives the situation a second chance.

Besides, who wants to admit they have a problem?

You do.

We all should.

As they say, the first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem… Address the source instead of running for a pitcher, sugar and water.

If you disguise a problem – labeling it something else – you risk never addressing and solving it. While you let “the opportunity work itself out” it may have upgraded from a problem to a catastrophe.

Less Work In The End

Making lemonade isn’t all it is cracked up to be. It takes a lot of extra work squeezing lemons again and again… dissolving sugar in water. And you darn well know… as soon as you finish drinking this batch, another crop of lemons will be waiting for you.

It is okay to have a problem.

It’s okay to have lots of problems. What is not okay is ignoring them and not fixing them.

Yes, “behind every cloud is a silver lining.” But it first takes someone to admit there are clouds to know where to look for that silver.

Calling a problem a problem provides an express route to the remedy.

Fine. Got It. No More Lemonade. Now What?

The best way to fix a problem is to figure out the root cause. You feel the pain. You have a perceived problem. Let’s get to the root of it.

The best method I have found it so take that perceived problem and ask “What issue or problem has caused this?”

Then, with the results from that line of questioning, ask again… “What issue or problem has caused this?”

These questions allow you to follow the trail of breadcrumbs back to the original issue that is the source of the problem.