Problems or Solutions? Wording Does Count

Coding is problem-solving business. Customer has a need that needs to be served with a software system. To be able to serve, the system needs to overcome a set of challenges set by the operating environment, business rules, abusive users and so forth. Every challenge needs a proper solution, or it becomes a problem.

We coders tend to speak about the problems, but not about the solutions. The problems are important, of course, otherwise there would be much less coders solving them. But at the end of the day, solutions matter.

I’ve witnessed in several organisations how the way of talking inside the team or the company affects the perception of the projects. Are we going to face issues or challenges? Are we hitting into problems or producing solutions? Wording makes a difference.

Besides terminology and wording, a good understanding of project goals makes people to look for the solutions instead of problems. If you understand why you are doing something instead of just doing it for sake of doing it (or getting paid for doing it), you can always ponder on various options — and suddenly you are thinking of the solutions, not the problems.

The best projects, both in team’s well-being and productivity, have always been the most positive and forward-looking, too. Motivated people tend to create stuff faster and with fewer errors. Staying focused is easier. You end up in the flow more often. Stuff just happens around you and everything progresses.

In other words, being more positive towards the project and its objectives, the project achieves more and also feels better. It does not matter whether you are a project manager or a coder; everyone’s attitude counts. Try this in your next project.