A lot of people think that Albert Einstein’s greatest ability was his mathematical mind, but Einstein’s greatest skill was the ability to sift the essential from the inessential — to grasp simplicity when everyone else was lost in the clutter.

Problems are an integral part of everyday life. So is problem-solving. But where people differ is in their ability to solve problems. Problem-solving has a synonym today, especially in the corporate world — fire fighting. Up to 70% of employees’ time is spent ‘fire fighting’. They spend more than six hours a day grappling with problems that should not exist. Imagine what organizations can achieve if hundreds or thousands of employees get these hours daily to work on something constructive!

Some problems should be solved. Some problems should be left alone. Some problems should not exist at all.