Lemons and Lemonade
Founding Father and second President of the United States, John Adams, is credited with saying “Every problem is an opportunity in disguise”. As business leaders, elected officials, and individuals, we all need to keep that thought in the forefront of our minds . . . and attitudes. Now more than ever. I doubt very few of us, at any age, have encountered the current degree of personal or societal challenges.
My blogging objectives are business-centric. I’ll leave political and social discourse to private conversations, legitimate debates, and more appropriate venues (all of which are hopefully amicable and respectful).
Here are some helpful action steps for business leaders (or anyone, for that matter) when the inevitable problem arises.
Acknowledge the problem with a positive attitude. Keeping a positive outlook doesn’t mean you pretend problems don’t exist. Get out in front of a problem, directly acknowledging the issue . . . with a focus on solutions. You can even treat the recognition in a positive light. Not pollyanna-like, but rather, by simply pointing out, “We/I have a problem, let’s turn that into a challenge to improve something.” Yes, the well-worn metaphor about making lemonade out of lemons is quite appropriate, thank you.
Alone is tough, together is better. Wherever the problem exists, involve and/or embrace those directly impacted. Promote the message that together you can resolve any issue, fix any problem, and be the better for it. Let others take the lead. Be their support, not just their boss or authority. Anytime you can “team up” to solve a problem, do it.
Problem-solve. Just as the Johnn Adams quote suggests, when a problem exists, there’s an opportunity to improve something. Identify the cause, explore solutions, take action. I was hired by a software business that was losing too many customers. The cause: lack of communication and engagement. We turned a problem into an opportunity to not only significantly reduce the number of customers leaving and retain recurring revenue, but to also increase revenue through upgraded licenses and new training programs.
Celebrate creativity and progress. Once you’ve addressed the issue, emphasize and record what you’ve learned. Perhaps you’ve discovered a better business or personal process. Maybe you strengthened family, employee, or customer relationships. A lost customer may expose a weakness in support—an opportunity to make that area stronger. Focus on the lesson and/or what the resolution accomplished. Be vocal and outspoken about what you achieved.
What about people problems?
In business, problems are not only about processes, sales, or customers. Despite your best efforts to hire competent and inherently positive individuals, a “bad apple” will occasionally try to “spoil the bushel.” Remember, attitudes are contagious (read about setting and managing a cultural attitude here)
First of all, make sure you distinguish a negative attitude from someone facing personal difficulties. Someone dealing with the loss of a loved one, a health issue, or accident in the family requires empathy and support, not reprimanding. By the way, that goes for personal relationships as well as employees.
A negative attitude, however, is quite a different matter. Be on the lookout for the habitually negative person who regularly complains, criticizes, and assigns blame. You have two choices with a negative Ned or Nancy: change them or let them go. If the person in question is a valuable workflow and results contributor, you’ll want to invest more time and effort in “rehabilitating” him or her. There are many training options, from team building exercises to self-help seminars. You can try team exercises or reinforcement via heart-to-heart individual discussions. If that doesn’t yield the desired result, consider some outside help. Find a business coach or consultant who specializes in team building or personality communication exercises.
Another option might be changing the person’s role in the company. Is he or she dealing everyday with complaints, problems, stressful situations? Perhaps assigning the negative person to another department could create a positive change and alter his or her behavior.
If after exhausting all efforts at reform, the behavior hasn’t changed, replacement may be your only solution. Firing someone who is a negative influence on others is yet another problem seeking an opportunity – to reinforce your cultural core values, for example. No need to excoriate that person. Your team knows when someone is a bad influence.. A message that you’re bringing in a replacement who has a great attitude and fits your culture will be a positive reinforcement for your staff.
Again, you can apply these ideas in non-business situations too. Improve a negative attitude in a personal relationship or remove the negative influence.
The potential to turn problems into opportunities is an intrinsic part of business and life in general. Solving problems is how we grow as individuals, leaders, and societies.