All Problems Are People Problems

All problems are really people problems.

To make the case that all problems are people problems, let’s tackle the biggest people problem first. Let’s say a company’s overall strategy is broken. Well, that doesn’t sound like a people problem at all, does it? But it is a people problem.

If the overall strategy is broken, then some people are too rigid in their commitment to the old strategy. Or it might mean that the leadership of this company isn’t resourceful enough to come up with a new way to compete and move the company forward. So if the biggest strategy problem is really a people problem, then all other problems might be people problems too, right?

How about low sales numbers? Absolutely a people problem. Could be that you have the wrong people on your team (maybe they’re not really salespeople). It might also mean that the people you have don’t have the right belief system or mindset. Could be that the people on your team don’t have the skill sets to succeed in this disruptive age. Maybe they don’t have the tools or haven’t been properly trained. Regardless, the root of the problem is still people.

Cultural issues? Accountability issues? Marketing problems? People problems all.

But wait! There’s good news here, too! If people are the root of all your problems, then people are the solution to your problems. Unlocking the resourcefulness of a small group of people can provide solutions to the most complex and intractable problems.

All problems are people problems. Fortunately, people can also solve the problems that they create.

Questions

Make a list of your challenges. What’s the people problem at the root of your problem?

I would the people involved in your problem need to change in order to overcome that problem or challenge?

One of the fastest way to change people is to change yourself. If you change the way you interact with people you can get different results. If you change the outcomes you want and interactions with people you can get very different results. Okay, what do you have to change?