“Hey, no problem man!”
November 28th, 2008 . by Jeff McCall
Author’s Note: I wrote this article some years ago after returning from Jamaica where we went to celebrate my wife’s birthday.
Yes I’m back! Refreshed and revitalised after a much-needed holiday on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. And being the sad bugger I am, didn’t miss the opportunity to find some inspiration for another article to entertain you.
I returned with many great memories of this lush green Isle. But perhaps the aspect that most impressed me was the general attitude of its inhabitants to the world and the challenges of their life. The common response to almost everything was “No problem!”
“Could I have one of those please?”
“No problem man!”
“How do I do this?”
“No problem man!”
“Where do I need to go?”
“No problem man!”
Get the idea?
And just to emphasize the fact, the phrase is also emblazoned on many of the T-shirts found hanging outside souvenir shops to entice the tourists.
Unlike the requisite “Have a nice day” you may often here, I really believe that the “No problem” response is really meant and actually engrained in the culture. I spent some lazy afternoons enjoying the sun and the company of some of the locals. Their laid-back approach to the challenges of work and life in general has a lot to commend it. I wonder how their statistics for stress-related heart disease compare to other parts of the world?
As you’ve probably guessed, I found their attitude refreshing compared to what I’ve been used to. It got me thinking “How could I reflect this concept upon the business world?”
I guess it most closely relates to the concept that it’s OK to make a mistake, it really is no problem! In fact, when you think about it there are no mistakes only learning opportunities. I mean, you never learn anything from doing things right all the time!
Yes it’s OK to have failures, as long as you learn from them and take that knowledge forward. Remember, you never learn much from a mistake the second time you make it.
Don’t let problems or failures defeat you. You’d be very lucky indeed if you went through life and things never went wrong for you from time to time. On those occasions when the proverbial does hit the fan just chill! Try to be philosophical about it and retain your optimism.
Don’t misunderstand me here! I’m not proposing that you should move to the other end of the spectrum, where you’re so laid-back you’re horizontal. You know what I mean, fast asleep and snoring. In that position you probably wouldn’t care about anything, which is a dangerous place to be.
There’s an important difference between not caring and not been phased by anything. You can’t make it in business unless you do care. You need to care about many things, like your customers and the service you provide them. Just don’t let it keeps you awake nights.
Try it on for size. The next time something happens and you think the world is out to get you, don’t react. Don’t think of the challenge as a problem, think of it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It’ll be one less problem area you’ll have to deal with in the future.
I hope you find this approach brings you comfort and positive opportunities. If it doesn’t, then hey, no problem man!
Be successful.