Solving for Opportunity
Problems are obvious. Most of them are anyway. They exist.
Most problems exist because some system is broken. They stare us in the face. They plague thoughts. We might think, “If I could just get X solved, or maybe I could just get it to go away.”
Most of the services and help we seek are to solve or fix problems. At home we get the plumbers, mechanics and the like to fix problems. At work it’s managers, outside providers and so on.
When working to create value from a problem first stand point we nearly always assume the premises of the problem, the system it was created by or that it lives in. We accept the system cart blanch. In doing so we nearly always accept the boundaries of the system and all it’s rules.
Solving problems that way can work. Sure, people do it. Sure, it can be somewhat successful. However, success is a relative term. What if we were far more interested in solving for opportunity?
Opportunities are widely available but they’re not often obvious. They need to be solved for. They tend to come from disparate ideas being combined. Most opportunities don’t yet exist. They can be tricky to “see.” They’re not yet actualized.
Solving for Opportunity… It might seem like a subtle shift from solving for problems. Sure. A problem might be why you direct your attention to finding a solution or finding an opportunity. However, a problem and it’s system need not command the boundaries, the playing field, for finding a solution. It need not be the only reason to look for a solution either.
Solving for opportunity is exciting. It offers an approach that first finds the opportunities available. Then, it crafts solutions for not yet existing value.
One approach protects value. One creates value.
image via jup3nep