It’s Not a Problem Until You’ve Tried to Solve It

One of the most powerful ideas from the Zome Summit didn’t come from the main stage. It came from a breakout — a closed-room session with leaders and Daniel G.

The topic was performance. But the real insight was about language.

We often say, "this is a problem." But many times… it’s not.

It’s a frustration. A complaint. An impulse reaction.

A problem, by contrast, is different. It assumes something deeper: that we’ve tested, explored, experimented — and hit a wall.

Here’s how we broke it down:

A complaint is reactive. It’s emotional. It usually comes from frustration or discomfort. The energy points outward — to others, to the system. The next step? Waiting. Venting. Blaming.

A problem is different. It’s reflective. Focused. It comes after trying, testing, learning. The energy turns inward — with ownership. The next step? Proposing. Improving. Moving.

So why does this matter?

Because language drives behaviour.

When a leader calls something a “problem” too early, it creates the illusion that we’ve done our part — when often, we’ve just voiced a frustration.

That kills momentum. It creates pressure without responsibility. And worst of all, it normalizes passivity.

High-performance teams know the difference:

They don’t just escalate. They try. They test. They document. And then they bring a “problem” forward — with clarity, context and willingness to help solve it.

“You don’t earn the right to call it a problem until you’ve tried to solve it.” That idea stuck with me.

It’s something I’ve brought back from the Summit. And something I’m now more conscious of — in how I speak, and in what I expect from others.

Final thought:

Next time you feel the urge to raise a flag, ask yourself:

• Have I tested a variation?
• Have I tried to resolve it with what I control?
• Have I gathered enough info to clarify what’s really wrong?
• Or am I just reacting to discomfort?

Complaints signal pain. But problems create motion.

And motion is where performance lives.

👉 How do you help your team move from complaints to problem-solving?