Friday, September 9, 2022
Problems never get fixed when you play the blame game. Problems are opportunities to take action, or to learn. Problems are goldmines, if you leverage your thinking power, rather than to express your opinion as to whose to blame. Harping on what’s not working, and whose at fault, only dramatizes the situation. You see a problem for a reason, and I don’t think it’s to point a finger. It’s to try to figure out a solution, or to learn a valuable lesson. Innovation comes from creative thinking about a problem. Dramatization comes from nitpicking a problem and casting blame. Drama says, “I told you so.” Innovation says, “I wonder how I can learn, or how I can make the situation better?”
Creative people find a way forward. Problem-spotting is the easy part, we all do this quite well, and it doesn’t take long to see the wrong in a situation. After the honeymoon period, the weaknesses really start to slip through the cracks. But rather than picking at the scabs, so to speak, how do you heal? How do you get to the root of the problem, and do something about it?
The root of all problems takes you deeper, under the surface, to that place where creativity will have an answer. An innovator leverages what they see as “wrong,” and they go deep to try to understand how to help, to lead, or to be the example. A nitpicker exacerbates the issue. A problem-solver gets clever, stays composed, and puts on the ol’ thinking cap. The blame game for those who love drama turns into the thinking game for those who love to innovate. If you’ve spotted a problem, good for you, but don’t stop there. Get under the surface, and think solution, not blame.