No Problem, Mon

There are no problems in business anymore. Sure there are "issues", but many of these have "workarounds", so life is good right? I refuse to call a problem an issue. When did "issue" become a euphemism for "problem"? "Workaround" is even worse. When I jokingly belabored the misuse (and overuse) of the words "issue" and "workarounds", to a friend his response was immediate. ""Solutions"!" he said, "Don't forget the "solutions providers"!" The irony, as I pointed out, is that one wouldn't need a solution unless he had a problem. Still, "workaround" seems much, much worse. Instead of solving, addressing, or eliminating a problem, workarounds allow problems to continue. Is anyone else envisioning an ostrich with its head in the sand?

Address It

You aren't going to fix a problem of which you're not aware. If you are aware of a problem, call it a problem right off the bat. Perhaps you can fix it, maybe not, but of one thing you can be sure: problems tend to lead to other problems. Sure, workarounds lead away from problems, but if there's a problem with your initial work, and you don't fix it, there's a good chance that subsequent work is also going to be problematic.