I suspect many people are similar: When initially confronting a
problem they perceive it to be much larger than it may truly be.
If
it is your own problem, the sooner you can put it in perspective and
supply the amount of concern it truly deserves, the more effective you
will be overall.
I have written a time or two
mentioning the difficult times we faced in the mid 1980's. At one point we
were being pressured by our bank over a minor item. I knew that in spite of their tone,
it was not a serious issue and was something we could (should) take in
stride. It was better to remain as calm as possible and do more
positive things. Two of our key staff members were upset with me
because I was not sufficiently "panic stricken" --- in their view. A couple of weeks later,
the crisis had resolved itself. Note: during this time there were more than enough major problems with which we had to deal.
I hasten to add that there have been other times when a problem loomed large, only to later indeed look smaller after it had passed.
Later, everyone could look
back and see that it was not nearly as large a problem as it had seemed
to some at the time. Time and time again, be it business, family,
personal or "whatever" this is the case. There are exceptions of
course.
Problems are (almost) always smaller in the rear view mirror!!
But if a customer calls with a problem, you'd better treat it with just as
much concern as he feels or you'll be considered insensitive, non-caring, or worse!
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