A top executive called up me late in the night. He was still awake at 3 oclock. He told me that he has not been sleeping for last 3 nights. Problem at his working place is working it effect on his marital life with wife. Although problem in professional life was manageable to some extent. But the bottom line was heading towards south. He was always busy in solving problems to the extent of guilty of ignoring the happening in market. He wanted help in solving problem.

What could be the solution of his problem? Is there a permanent solution to any business situation? Chemistry of business is a fast changing genes very different from human being. There could not be any fix solution leave alone a permanent to any problem. Problems in business are bound to raise their heads sooner or later. Would you like to keep solving the problem at the cost of growth?

My observation and suggestion is, if your time is getting messed up more than 30% in day to day problem of your business, there may be a very serious problem at hand. It is the clear sign that either you need a person to solve these problems and get the house in line or you are heading straight into the dead wall. It is just matter of time; you will end up at the street which will go nowhere.

All the top executives are guilty of this trait. We all are taught that solving problem is most important as old saying goes. If you are not a part of solution, you are part of problem. But let me explain no organization has survived and moved on to become leader just by solving problem.

Take example of Digital, Compaq, and Amdahl etc. They all got problem, they solved it but in the process loose there focus on the innovation. As Peter Drucker said, The market is a harsh who will dismiss even the most faithful servant without a penny of severance pay. All these one time king of industry went in to spirals of problems and lost the ground to others at other players. Compaq ate up DEC and HP ate up Compaq. Now HP is facing the same dilemma.

If we see the market and the market leaders. It is very clear that growth can solve a hell lot of problems itself. In fact in a growing company problems just do not arrive at all. But you cant grow all the time that is law of market. But you have to innovate in your business insight to see new market to jump in before your old one kill you under its own falling weight. Only opportunity not the problem can solve the problem permanently. It is the death time of any organization when its innovation engine dries up. If they cant see any new market and opportunity. They will get killed in this race where any product life is getting shorter day by day.

Digital and Compaq became leaders in their respective segment by exploiting the opportunity. And innovating new offering to customer. And when they became leaders, vanity killed their innovative minds and in the process they got terminated by others.

So solve your problems but relax and do not loose you sight on opportunities. As old adage goes, our productivity is directly related with our ability to relax.