PonderThis: An Ounce of Prevention
I just finished adding SPAM protection to this blog. Based on the number of spams that show up in comments, you would think that I am world famous. I have been responding to comment screening notices from the site for months only to find that, like most blogs, over 95% of comments are spam. So, why did I wait so long to add the filters?
I could give you a very long list. It might sound familiar:
...I have been too busy.
...I did not have the time to figure it out and did not have resources I trusted to sort it for me.
...I just did not want to deal with that level of detail.
...I do not know much about the technical underpinnings and did not want to waste time learning
/yada... yada... yada... We have probably dozens of stories and adages and excuses about this, since humans are natural procrastinators.
As you get ready for the weekend, take this home to think about: What challenges do you and your organization face that could be easily solved by taking a day's worth of the time to focus on solutions instead of put out the fires? What have you avoided doing that would, for a one-time investment, create long term value? Some possible examples based on a straw poll of clients that may ring a bell for you:
Banking CEO: "I inherited a VP who should never have been made a VP. Until I figure out how to tell her that and either find her a suitable position or transition her out, I will have hours of workaround and damage control to deal with every week."
Manufacturing COO: "We have needed a portfolio management system for projects for a year. The reporting and resource management probably outstrips the cost and risk every quarter- but it has seemed like a distraction until now."
Unit Director, HR, Health Care : "My boss and I have been in a cold war ever since the last round of reviews. We need to find a way to talk through our differences and reset, or I need to go somewhere else. Either way, the level of distraction is killing productivity."
SVP Global Business Development in a Software Firm: "I have been avoiding a trip to EMEA ever since the new regional MD was appointed. I have said I will get over when I have the time, but the lack of clear agreements in how our teams will interact is really getting in the way. I think I need to make time and go."
PonderThis is published to arrive in your RSS/ mailbox on Fridays as an concept to ponder over the weekend and goes to thousands of requesters on 4 continents