John Spacey, January 12, 2021 updated on January 11, 2022
A problem is a matter that is causing losses or will cause losses if not handled well. These can be social, environmental, financial, technological or personal. The following are common examples of problems.
Access to Healthcare
Access to Housing
Accidents & Injuries
Adapting to Change
Animal Welfare
Biases
Business Failure
Complacency
Conflict
Corruption
Cost Overrun / Excessive Cost
Crime
Crop Failures
Cyber Security
Disagreement & Discord
Disasters
Disengagement
Environmental Issues
Environmental Justice
Establishing / Sustaining Relationships
Ethical Lapses
Existential Risk
Extinctions / Conservation of Habitat
Failure of Imagination
Financial Liquidity
Financial Solvency
Food Insecurity / Hunger / Nutrition
Fraud
Health Issues
Human Rights
Incivility
Inefficiency
Inflation / Deflation
Infrastructure Lack / Failure
Infrastructure Maintenance
Lack of Direction / Meaning / Purpose
Lack of Discipline (mismatch between what you intend to do and actually do)
Lack of Responsibility / Accountability
Lack of Transparency / Candor / Honesty
Lack of Trust
Low Productivity
Mediocrity
Mental Health Issues
Miscommunication
Misinformation / Disinformation
Moral Failures
Operational Failures
Oppression
Physical Security
Political Polarization
Pollution
Poor Behavior
Poor Design
Poor Performance
Poor Quality
Poverty
Project Failure
Quality of Education
Quality of Life
Racism
Recessions / Depressions / Economic Collapse
Risk
Safety Issues
Sexism
Shortages / Surpluses
Social Instability
Social Issues
Social Justice
Social Rejection
Space Junk
Strategy Failure
Tax Burden
Unemployment
War / Risk of War
Water Insecurity / Drought / Water Quality
Discussion
Problems often depend on your perspective. For example, a business may see competition as a problem where this competition is good for society as a whole as it forces businesses to improve quality and reduce prices.
Problem vs Opportunity
In many cases, the difference between a problem and an opportunity is simply a matter of outlook. For example, a polluting industry could be viewed as a business opportunity whereby polluting less is likely to become a future competitive advantage. Some problems are completely negative such that putting a positive spin on everything can be a mistake.
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Problem Solving
This is the complete list of articles we have written about problem solving.
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