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In an earlier blog we looked at the 3 critical roles in an organization. Another way to look at the roles is as follows:

• Those who define the problem.
• Those who solve the problem.

Problem solvers are sought after and rewarded. They hold the spotlight for their success and failures. Relentless action is considered a sign of energy, commitment, and is comforting to see. The business value for this approach can be explained with an analogy: if the patient is bleeding, stop the bleeding! This is a good thing, because it will keep the patient alive while you figure out the root cause. If you invest in understanding root causes too early, there will be no patient to cure.

The ones who define the problem are most useful for big and strategic topics. Problem definition for big, strategic topics takes time. Research and validation are the foundational efforts. If the problem is identified correctly, the right priority can be set, and proper investments can be made, and the ROI is large enough to justify this investment. Those who can define problems at a strategic level are typically not very good at execution. This is an overhead that few organizations can afford. Thus, such people end up working for large organizations that have large projects.

A nuance to the above taxonomy is the size of the problem. For small problems, the same person is expected to define and solve the problem. As the size of the problem grows, there is a tipping point where specialists are required for defining and solving.

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From time to time the thought crosses my mind, “I’ve had a few victories recently, a loss is not going to matter.” When a stakeholder complains, I think to myself, “I’ve worked really hard and done some really creative work, you need me more than I need you, why are you complaining? Don’t you appreciate what I am doing for you?”

This line of thinking does not reflect an understanding of the balance sheet approach to work outputs. I may have a lot of assets, but if I have an above than optimal set of liabilities, I will be a danger to myself and to others.

Guard against a feeling of entitlement, a sense that the world owes you something. The world appreciates the good things you do, it even appreciates your efforts, willpower, and resilience. What the world will not appreciate, and you will lose points for, is the expectation that your mistakes are excusable, and can be ignored.

Whether you do something well, or you commit a blunder, just observe them, learn from them, and move on to the next adventure.