Issue vs Problem

What strokes the most prominent difference between issue and problem is the solution. When you have an issue, you generally can readily come up with the solution. Often, you even know how you would solve an issue before it even presents itself. A problem, on the other hand, is not something that you can solve without forethought, and even a certain amount of guesswork.

Size often dictates the difference between an issue and a problem. An issue is smaller, not life altering, and it doesn’t present such a degree of difficulty that you have to seek out the counsel of others in order to figure out the impact of the issue. A problem is larger in scale, often large enough to alter your life either temporarily or permanently. A problem can easily require the advice and guidance of those around you, in order to solve it.

An issue is a factor that might cause you some annoyance. A problem can impact people and situations around you, even if they are not directly related to the problem. For instance, forgetting your lunch is an issue, but losing your job is a problem.

On a corporate or governmental level, an issue is something that can be handled behind closed doors, impacting no one but the people of highest authority in the situation. A problem involves information that must be released, because there will be cause to involve employees, or citizens, in the solution to the problem.

An issue also holds potential. When you discover that there is great potential for a situation to have a large impact, it is still, by definition, an issue. The issue mutates into a problem when the potential is realized. For instance, when a restaurant chef realizes that part of the batch of fish they are serving for the night has gone bad, they have an issue, because it holds the potential to make a lot of people sick, cause people to sue, and ruin the establishment’s reputation. If no one has eaten, or has had a bad reaction to the fish, then it remains an issue. Once someone becomes ill and accusations start to surface, the issue is now a problem.

Summary:

· An issue has a readily recognizable solution.

· Problems are life altering, temporarily or permanently.

· Issues bear only a slight impact.

· Issues cause personal annoyance.

· Problems cause others to be affected.

· Issues can be handled privately.

· Problems must be handled openly, in order to resolve them in government or business capacities.

· An issue may have the potential to cause harm.

· A problem develops when the harm or impact begins to surface.