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A Quote About Problems

A wise old tractor

A wise old tractor

“You will only be remembered in life by the problems you solve and the ones you create.”

This quote did not come from a business person, a life coach, a celebrity, or a modern ‘guru’ (a word with real meaning and substance now casually applied to any management huckster with a toothy grin and a TV show). Instead it came from the Grandfather of a friend of mine. I like this fact because it reminds me that learning can come from any direction and that we can (if not careful) rely on ‘gurus’ when useful people can sometimes be sitting next to us at home.

This quote also struck a chord with me because I wonder that we can fall into a trap of turning problems into objects. By doing this we can strip them of their human element and divorce ourselves from the influence we have on their inception or conclusion.

People cause problems. People solve problems. That includes me and this quote did make me stop and think about which problems I’ve created and which ones I’ve solved recently. It’s an interesting question to ponder over…

The next time somebody presents me with a problem and shirks their responsibility for it, I will share this quote with them and give them the oportunity to be remembered for something positive. That seems a fair way to motivate someone.

And if you’re interested in the detail, the quote comes from Nemesio Maun (my friend is Maywell). He was the Chief Mechanic for John Deere tractors in the Philippines.

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2 Responses to “A Quote About Problems”

  1. Robert says:

    Hey, this is my first visit to your blog… We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. good job

  2. It’s great that i’ve found this article on google , keep up the good work mate …

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About Richard

Richard Maun works with people to develop effective communications, increase leadership skills and improve business processes. He uses Transactional Analysis in organisational settings and combines this with Lean thinking. You can reach him via the contact page, or via the Primary People link above.

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