Kind of Genius

Quit your bitching. 

This is generally seen as good advice. Find me a person that wants to be seen as a whiner.  But, what if I said bitching is good business. I’m serious. 

Being able to articulate issues is an art form. Being able to pitch problems, now that’s an even more lucrative art form. This seems to be a secret smart people recognize but few speak to. 

Classic example: 

Client comes to a company saying their problem is X. 

Company comes back saying, we can solve X, but we really think your problem is Y and while that will cost an initially higher upfront investment it will save you dividends in the long run. 

For the record, I’m by no means arguing there’s anything wrong with this script. Often outside companies are paid to see things from a different vanishing point and to consider the broader picture. But the point is: they’re not solving. They’re raising flags….they’re grabbing a big red Sharpie and circling an issue. 

Bitching is good for business. 

I want to shout out to anyone that’s wired like me—And by this I mean anyone who sees a business challenge as a big puzzle waiting to be solved with an in-depth, inclusive solution and runs full throttle at cracking the code. 

A wise person recently apprised me of a phenomenon known as the Zeigarnik Effect. The term refers to the tendency for humans to “remember unfinished tasks better than finished tasks.” 

This may help explain why people who raise great questions often receive as much credit if not more credit than the people that solve the problem. The person in the room that raises a great question gifts the entire room with a satisfying mental rubik cube to solve for. The person in the room that offers a solution, robs everyone else in the room the chance to play a part in the puzzle. 

Moral of the story: We’ve all at one point or another been the person in the room hardwired to solve and then we wonder why the person that’s always asking questions wins. This is as true in a personal conversation as it is when we’re at the white board. 

In other words, it just might be true that slowing down, solving less and asking more is absolutely good for business, better for relationships, and kinda brilliant.