When easy problems seem difficult, with people.

You’re providing an answer to the wrong question

Olabanji Stephen
1 min readNov 25, 2022

“It’s so easy. Why don't you just _____?”

Well, that’s the thing with people and if you want to succeed, you must understand people (to a good extent) and a great start is just… listening.

Simon Sinek says there’s a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.

Listening helps you understand the problem but more importantly, the context. And that’s critical because you cannot solve a problem (when it involves people) without context.

You need to listen enough to understand the person's mind space, their triggers, and what they are solving for.

Sometimes, it’s an ego issue, not a productivity one
Sometimes, it’s fear, not a lack of understanding
Sometimes, it’s poor communication, not a lack of confidence
Sometimes, it’s trauma, heartbreak or even a bad diet

You can go on and on with being the smart one (especially if you’re in management) or you can just… listen

Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world.

Free

Distraction-free reading. No ads.

Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights.

Tell your story. Find your audience.

Membership

Read member-only stories

Support writers you read most

Earn money for your writing

Listen to audio narrations

Read offline with the Medium app

Olabanji Stephen
Olabanji Stephen

Written by Olabanji Stephen

I see the world differently and attempt to interpret it in ways that inspire genius

No responses yet

Write a response