Do you have a Blueprint, or just a Tool?

People love tools.  That’s why Sears is so popular.  They have tools for everything there and we all need them.  Not just the basics either, like hammers or screwdrivers- they have tools for every little task you can think of.  Need to remove a bolt that’s got a stripped head at a 45 degree angle and is guarded by a rabid raccoon?  There’s probably an exact tool for that; with an optional LED in-case you’re attempting this at night.  Tools are great because they make our lives easier and separate us from the lesser primates. 

But tools don’t work themselves.  Simply owning a tool won’t necessarily get you the right results.  You need a plan for using those tools in a way that will be effective and productive.  You need a blueprint.

All too often it seems that this approach is used by organizations when it comes to training.  They have a lot of cool tools in the bag, but they don’t have a blueprint that lays out how to make best use of them.  It’s like thinking that because you bought lumber and a top of the line nail gun that you’ll end up with a house frame.  Without a plan for usage, tools are meaningless.

Before you spend time and dollars on training, make sure you have a clear plan in place. What are we trying to accomplish?  Who are we targeting?  How will we measure success?  If you can’t answer these questions, you’re not ready to go tool shopping.  It’s easy to get caught up in the flash of the latest and greatest gadget improvements, but take the time to evaluate each new offering properly to see that it fits for you.  Otherwise you end up with a very expensive tool box full of things that are really “cool” and “might be needed…someday.”

Above all remember this- the great works of history, the statue David, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, even the pyramids, were not the result of simply having the latest and greatest gadgets; they were the realized vision of a master with a plan.  So take the time to make sure you’re putting your best tools to use by having a great blueprint.

 

Striking the Balance

There is a fine balance between suggestions and rules.  Suggestions are there to help; rules are there to confine.  So often in organizations what begins as a suggestion (usually masked in the cloak of “best practice”) quickly becomes an ironclad rule.  Why do we allow this to happen? 

The unfortunate answer is convenience.

It’s just easier to compare results if everyone followed the same method.  It takes time to judge the comparative value of unique things.  It’s why teachers prefer multiple choice tests to essays.  They’re simply easier to grade.

It’s also easier to follow the paved street than it is to blaze a new trail.  The problem is that the paved road cannot take us anywhere new.

But at the same time, without suggestions and guidance, we can often find ourselves facing the impossible management of limitless options.  Essays are easier to evaluate if they’re all on the same topic.  And an educated guess towards exploration is far more productive than simply getting lost in the weeds.

We need the balance.  We need experience, guidance, and suggestions to prevent the paralyzing effects of limitless choice.  But we cannot allow the line to be crossed that we become bound to the rules and unable to innovate and create.  It’s not easy- but balancing never is.

 

Cross this line you die.ok, cross this line you die.ok, cross this line.

When I was a kid cartoon violence was perfectly acceptable.  The coyote exploding, the back firing shotgun that caused a duck’s bill to spin like a top, and even the occasional cooking pot/ Jacuzzi was as normal as gluten in our cereal.  Simpler times I suppose.  But beneath the surface of gratuitous rabbit on duck violence were deeper lessons.  The exposure to classical music, the art of the pun, and humor that derived by laughing at the absurd.

 I remember the verbal jousting between two characters when one would draw a line in the dirt and claim “ok, you cross this line, you die.”  Inevitably the line would be crossed in some comical fashion and a new one drawn.  “Ok, now you cross this line, you die.”  The humor was in watching such a severe threat fall apart over and over again.  Because even at a young age we know that there’s humor in failing to keep a commitment.

At what age did we all stop finding it so absurd?

See, as adults, we use the term “deadline” all the time, but we don’t really mean it.  We push them back, “adjust” them, or even just roll right bye.  We treat them like a cartoon villain- turn it in by this date or else.  Ok, turn it in by this date- or else.  But there’s always something else and that’s how nothing gets done.  If a child saw it, they’d laugh at our incompetence- but do it in the office and it’s just normal.  So how do we reclaim the power of the line?

You have to shoot someone.  Figuratively, of course.

The next time a deadline is missed make the consequences harsh.  Late for a meeting?  Lock them out of the room.  Forget to turn in your timecard by Friday?  Delay the check to the next cycle.  Because once an exception is made every exception seems to want to follow.  Exceptions are sneaky that way.

Many will argue that there’s always nuance and times for adjustment.  Probably.  But more often exceptions lead to death by a thousand cuts.  Making the same exception all the time doesn’t kill the rule- that’s actually a good indicator that the rule is wrong.  But when we allow making exceptions to become the norm the rule dies just the same.

The point is this- if you’re going to draw a line in the dirt, don’t let it become a joke.  Be thoughtful and serious about when, where, and how you draw that line.  Then be ready to “shoot” someone if you expect that line to be enforced.  Otherwise, no one will really know if it’s wabbit season or duck season- and that’s just asking for trouble.

 

Quitting is Not Failing

Ever have one of those weeks that just completely overwhelms you?  Too much to do, too many requests, to the point where you become completely drowned work, family, friends or all of the above?  Of course you do.  You’re reading this blog and that means I know at least 3 things about you- 1) You have great taste, 2) You like your leadership wisdom full of pop-culture humor, and 3) You’re ambitious.  And ambitious people always bite off more than we can chew, at least from time-to-time.

So rather than tell you not to do that (you won’t listen- I wouldn’t either), I’m going to tell you how to fix it.  Watch your step, ‘cause I’m about to drop some serious knowledge.  Ready for the big secret to dealing with having too much to do?  Here it is:

Quit.

The reality is when you have more than you can handle, when you over extend yourself, something’s going to suffer.  It’s inevitable. So you have to decide; do you let quality suffer or do you back out and leave others the chance to find someone else to help.  It’s usually better to quit.

The hard part of quitting is getting past the guilt of letting others down or the personal shame of feeling like you failed.  That’s the part I can help you with.  Consider this.

Quitting is NOT the same as Failing.

Seth Godin says that in his brilliant book, The Dip (it’s a textbook in how to quit the right way).  And it’s a simple truth that if you can embrace it, will help you overcome this hurdle.  Quitting is a decision.  It’s not that you couldn’t- but you choose not to. And if you’re choosing not to because you can’t give your best, that’s a wise choice.  But don’t let quitting and failing become synonymous- failing is when you can’t, quitting is when you choose to stop.  And that might be a good choice.

Jon Acuff also wrote a brilliant blog on it.  Check that out here.

Bottom line, if you’re a go-getter, you’re always going to overextend yourself from time-to-time.  The real question is, are you going to fix it or let your work suffer?