The formation of the European Union took decades to create and may take only a couple of years to destroy. The foundational concepts behind the Euro were solid, and generally worked well in improving Europe’s position in the World marketplace. However today, everything appears to be unfolding. And the next card following Greece is Spain. In a recent New York Times article titled Spain Seen Moving Slowly On Financial Reforms illustrates what could happen next. Personally, the most interesting aspect of this article relates to the numeous ties to my work on silent problems (problems that are avoided, neglected, going unnoticed, or are being intentionally silenced). Here are a few of the excerpts.
Slow Decision Making: A planned merger has stalled between two weak savings banks in Galicia, in northwestern Spain, illustrating the reluctance of the Spanish government to take a firmer hand to its financial problems. The longer consolidation is delayed among the banks, which are saddled with losses on loans to the construction industry, the more expensive it may be to deal with them.
A Problem Neglected: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the center-left prime minister, presented an austerity plan this year based mostly on measures that would not kick in until next year at the earliest. The measures include spending cuts amounting to a modest 2.5 percent of gross domestic product. But Mr. Zapatero may no longer be able to wait. Just as he has been unable to force the savings banks, Caixanova and Caixa Galicia, to consolidate before the situation deteriorates further, he finds Spain increasingly vulnerable to forces beyond its control.
A Problem Avoided: To date, Mr. Zapatero’s policies have rested on the hope that the economy would begin to recover soon and that the jobless rate would average no more than 19 percent this year. Yet the jobless rate has already reached 20 percent, according to government statistics for the first quarter released Friday, almost double the level when Spain’s recession began in 2008.
A Problem Avoided: Indeed, Mr. Zapatero has shown little inclination to force change on his people. In late January, his government proposed pushing up the retirement age to 67 from 65 to help cope with the costs of a rapidly aging population. After a series of protest marches, the plan was put on the back burner.
The silent problem matrix I describe in my book explains and predicts what happens when they finally surface. Their toxic nature is a result of neglect and avoidance. The key is how to surface these issues early in their formation, and how to take action. Silent Problems are playing an increasingly important in world markets and the future of economic progress.
Over the past year, conversations with consultants, to business owners, to business leaders, to employees focused on doing the right thing reveals just how dangerous Silence truly is. Initially, the silence is somewhat benign. However as I’ve discussed and illustrated (see chart), silent problems grow in toxicity over time. And when (not if) a silent problem surfaces, it can derail an organization with ease.
Toyota has lost its sales momentum, its quality distinction and its marketing muscle. In essence, Toyota is simply another me-too car company with nothing exciting to sell or a competitive advantage to tout. As I’ve noted 
An excellent analogy is the game Minesweep. In Minesweep, you’re provided a grid with the knowledge that a number of unseen landmines exist. As you start clearing the landscape, clues along the way provide an approximate location where they exists. If you fail to read these signals correctly, you will likely hit a landmine, and the game is over.