This title drew your attention. It did, admit it.
It drew your attention because it sounds different. It probably sounds a bit weird. If not completely wrong.
“Houston, we have an opportunity!” is not something we hear in the movies about rocket launches or travels into space. It is probably something none of the astronauts said. Ever.
Why?
Because Houston is to be notified about the deviations from normal, expected, calculated. About something that might put everything at stake.
Houston wants to know about the problems.
Because only problems should be solved. Opportunities could be solely addressed.
And here it is. I am just realizing that I have managed, completely unintentionally, to come to a simple metaphor that can serve as an explanation to any English non native who is attempting to grasp the difference between these two conditionals.
Still, as simple as it seems, I am not quite sure if those in the corporate world would be able to understand it. Namely, what I have noticed over the past 20 years of my experience in the corporate world, there seems to be a rather big movement dedicated to promoting this sort of nonsense paradigm:
“There are no problems, just the opportunities.”
I am guessing your facial expression now reveals some degree of smile as this sentence sounds familiar to you?
Highly likely. Especially if you work or have worked in some of the big, multinational companies.
Bending reality is a cool concept. If you are a spiritual creature or a genius that is vibrating on a completely different intellectual level.
Otherwise you can’t really manifest it in your day-to-day business operations.
Still, there are millions and millions of attempts to bend it happening each day in every corner of the world.
I took part in so many meetings where people were trying to correct themselves as soon as they used the word problem. I was even participating in a conference where the regional vice president used each occasion to emphasize the necessity to realize that the reality in which the company operated is de facto problemless.
“In this company, we don’t have problems, difficulties or challenges. Yes, sometimes some things don’t go as we planned or the external factors suddenly change. Even if things don’t go as planned, we do need to see the opportunities residing in them. Opportunities to learn, to grow, to advance based on these circumstances.”
“BS.” I was thinking about it then.
“Serious and dangerous BS.” I am thinking about it now.
This is how a demagogue is conceived.
This is how you boost for a rather narcissistic ego that is anyway flying on the wings of illusions called own superiority.
And we all know that flights unquestionably finish. Sooner or later they land.
Unfortunately, sometimes they crush.
I have a riddle for you.
You are in a plane that is approaching a bad weather area. The storm will for sure cause turbulence that will last for some time.
You can avoid the storm by adjusting the flight course. This would cause some delay in your arrival to the destination.
What do you do?
Do you seize the opportunity and decide to shake the passengers a bit.? They were sleeping anyway most of the time. And this is a great opportunity to grow their resilience and make them stronger.
Or do you adapt to the circumstances and adjust the course even if this will for sure cost you some additional time and fuel?
Let’s face the fact. A storm might be an opportunity in some other scenarios (if you are chasing some cool photos of natural phenomena, if you are a farmer whose crop was suffering due to the dry season, etc.) but definitely not for a pilot of the plane. It is a deviation from usual. The one that is increasing the probability of a negative outcome.
By nature, I am a very optimistic person. I always consciously chose to cheer for the hopeful options. I am a big fan of positive psychology and constructivist approach. But I never bought into the omni opportunities existing dogma.
There is a reason why we don’t say something like:
We have an opportunity with the budget as the resources are exhausted due inflation that hit stronger than anticipated.
We have an opportunity with the supplier because they will not be able to deliver on time.
We have an opportunity with the legal matters as we just got sued by the former business partner.
Some things are problems. And problems need to be solved. In order to effectively do so, we need to see them and call them by their real name.
Doing it differently might indeed be seen as an opportunity.
To screw everything up.
Corporate world is not alone in this tendency to “fake it until you make it”. Politicians should also be credited for their proficiency with the topic of bent reality. At least in the verbal sense.
And we, humans, love and crave exactly that. We have not changed much since the beginning of our existence. We are made to preserve our energy and find the shortcuts. Including those in our thinking process.
Why bother and think critically? It is way easier and less energy consuming to accept what has been told, especially if it sounds cool, and continue to preach it to the others.
After all - if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.
Until it crushes.
And then you end up where you started.
So, how do you see it?
Houston, we have…
a problem
an opportunity
not learnt anything
all above, depending on the perspective.
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