“I don’t want to hear about problems! Only Solutions!”

My previous boss used to say that often. Very often. Too often, if I’m honest.

I think he was well-meaning when he said it, in that he was always open to new ideas. Whatever, I’ll certainly give him the benefit of the doubt.

The thing is that, today more than ever, companies NEED to hear about problems.

They need to know what’s wrong, as much as what’s right. More so, in fact. And they need to know about it in a timely fashion.

Too many companies are what I call “intentionally blind”. Business owners refuse to acknowledge cold, dark realities. To recognize and accept the problems that are staring them in the face. Shrinking market size, poor sales performance, a product or service offering that no longer fits the market.

Refusing To Accept Reality

Whatever a company’s problems are, the last thing you should be doing is good sticking your head in the sand and pretending that they don’t exist. Such action is delusional, dangerous – and in my book is tantamount to a wilful dereliction of duty.

Often, in such as situation, other people within the company are aware of the problems. However, policy inside ‘intentionally-blind’ companies is usually to shoot the messenger, so everyone toes the company line and keeps quiet. Until it’s too late.

Knowledge is not everything. The right knowledge at the right time is everything. There’s no such thing as bad news or good news, only on-time news and late news.

Today’s business climate is a rapidly-changing, unpredictable entity. The sooner you learn and accept what’s wrong, the more time you have to put it right.