Point It Out, Propose It 🛠️
Pointing out problems is easy and takes little effort. Understanding, proposing, validating and implementing is what actually creates value. On the difference between those who criticize and those who contribute.
For years, I’ve come across highly educated professionals with an impressive specialty: pointing out problems and flaws. What was missing was the other half, the ability to propose solutions.
That’s what I want to put up for discussion. If you’re able to point out a problem, you should also have an idea of how to fix it. More than that: your observation should already come with a proposal attached. That’s when you’re actually creating value.
👉 Pointing out is not contributing
Stop and think about it: pointing out a problem, on its own, creates no value at all. Without the solution, you’re just the accuser.
Companies are full of flaws and problems. That’s news to no one, least of all the people who work there. The ones who stand out aren’t the ones who see the problems, they’re the ones who solve them.
🧠 The effort nobody sees
This has a lot to do with the human side of things. Pointing out takes far less effort and cognitive capacity than everything else: identifying the problem, understanding the cause, thinking of a solution, bringing it to the table, discussing it, validating it and implementing it.
That effort is exactly what brings value to a company. Anyone can spot the leak. The work is in climbing onto the roof.
🔍 An everyday example
Think of a code review. One comment says: “This is bad.” Another says: “This loop hits the database once per item and will turn into an N+1 as the list grows. How about loading everything at once with an Include? I left an example below.”
Both spotted the same problem. Only one of them helped solve it.
🪑 When it’s time to decide
There’s another pattern I’ve always noticed: the people who point out the most problems without bringing solutions tend to be the first to drag their feet when a critical decision has to be made. Criticizing from the outside is comfortable. Taking a stand, with the risk of being wrong, is not.
⚠️ This is not a call for silence
Before anyone gets the wrong idea: I’m not saying you should keep quiet when you don’t know the solution. A security flaw, a production risk, something nobody else noticed, that has to be said, with or without a ready answer.
The difference is in the attitude. Instead of “this is wrong”, try “this is wrong, I don’t know the best way out yet, but I can look into it”. Whoever points something out and offers to help ends up on the same side of the table as whoever is going to fix it.
🩹 In short
Be someone who contributes to change in the company, not just the one with a sharp finger for pointing out failures. Improve processes, help other teams, understand where the business is hurting.
Poking at a wound without cleaning it and applying the medicine doesn’t help it heal.