You Can’t Outrun a D-
My wife constantly reminds me that as parents, we are only as happy as our least happy child. As a numbers person, I equate this to a GPA (Grade Point Average). No matter how hard I worked to turn a B+ into an A-, my GPA could never recover from a D-. The math just never worked.
In business the same concept applies. Whether is it that one division, product line, or difficult employee, at some point, all the good in the company seems to be outweighed by the “problem child”.
It could be the sales person who keeps missing targets, the project manager whose projects never seem to get completed, or the accounting department that cannot get the financial statement completed in a timely manner. Every company has its own D-. We try to ignore it and focus on the more positive areas. And this works for some time. But eventually some “college admissions counselor” looks through our transcript, finds our D- and denies admission.
One low grade that goes unaddressed will create real problems for a company. Cost structures increase until the point that profitability is negative, financial statements get so bad that covenants with the bank are broken and credit lines are pulled, or reporting is so poor that changing trends are not identified in time to take corrective action. And before we know it, what was once just one problem has turned into multiple issues.
The good news is that your current D- can be improved. Here are some actions that you can and should take today.
Imagine your life, and your company, without the “problem”. Whatever your trouble, allow your mind to wander to a place where that problem is magically resolved.
Recognize that for everything in life that you find joyful, there is somebody else who does not. Conversely, for everything that you despise, there is somebody who is not only willing, but would find great joy in doing.
Act. Do something. Find that person. Your “problem” didn’t just show up yesterday, it has been there for some time. It remains unaddressed because you don’t find joy in addressing it and therefore you don’t address it. It moves down your priority list, not because it is not important, but rather because we all avoid doing the work that we don’t enjoy. Find the person who loves to tackle that type of assignment and not only will it be at the top of their priority list, I am willing to bet that they are pretty good at it as well.
Act today and not only will you improve the health of your company, but you will also turn that wonderful theoretic image of life without that problem into your reality.
About Jason Stern: Mr. Stern started Gift of Time to provide a cherished resource “time” to business owners and executives. By focusing on the critical areas that lead to results, business leaders avoid wasting time and achieve more. His firm Gift of Time (www.giftoftime.us) works with companies and their leaders to become more effective in less time. He can be reached at jstern@giftoftime.us or 949.244.1885.