No problems is the biggest problem of all.

There’s a story about a manager delivering a quarterly update to an executive. She’s enthusiastic because all the metrics are trending up and to the right.

They shipped on time — sales and customer satisfaction numbers are up too.

The executive patiently listens until the manager is done and then asks: “So, where are the problems?”

The manager explains that it was a great quarter and that there are no problems to report.

The executive shakes her head and says: “No problem is a problem.” 

In other words, the absence of problems is a problem.

But wait, isn’t it a good thing if there aren’t any problems?

Not exactly.

Problems are often described as something undesirable, bothersome, difficult to deal with. Evidence that something is wrong.

Traditionally, work problems have been viewed as fires that need to be extinguished. Yes, we can’t let fires burn out of control. And without solving the cause of the fire, it merely comes back, to be put out again and again.

Sadly, many organizations treat problems like garbage, something to be hidden away from the light of day, especially when it comes to sharing them with leaders.

How often have you heard the phrase, "Don't bring me problems, I want solutions!"?

In such an environment, people learn not to bring problems to their leaders. If they can't resolve the problem alone, they bury it and move on, forced to find workarounds. Over time, these workarounds become the standard way of running processes, deeply ingrained in our standardized work.

And yet, we encounter problems every day, big and small. Denying their existence or brushing them under the rug might be the biggest problem of all.

Another way to look at problems is this: the gap between how we perform today, vs how we could ideally perform.

Taken this way, we expect to have room to improve to achieve the ideal. Always. There will always be problems to solve, and ways to improve for users, customers, and employees. These problems show us where we must improve, and provide opportunities for everyone to get better at solving problems so they don’t return.

This is where KPIs are vital – reporting and review mechanisms help us to see where we need to focus on problem-solving.

Red metrics should never be used to punish – they are to focus our attention.

The minute teams sense danger in presenting red KPI or problems, leadership can be assured they will only see green charts and blue skies.

By adopting this mindset and fostering a culture of problem-solving, teams can unleash their potential and move towards a continuously improving, constantly learning organization.

Added bonus: this is nearly impossible to copy by a competitor, and is the key to scaling any business.