Not too long ago I had reached into the bottom drawer to grab a pair of work jeans as I was about to head out to the yard for a day of “To-do” list chores. We have all been there wanting to get a head start on the weekend by getting those chores out of the way allowing for the rest of the time to enjoy with family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. The challenge this morning was that upon putting the pants on, something was not right. No, it was not that they were too tight for me to button and zip closed. It was just the opposite. They were almost so large that they would have needed suspenders to hold them up even with a belt. As it was still dark in the room I was changing in and I did not want to turn on a light to wake my bride, I simply tossed that pair aside and grabbed a different pair of work pants which fit more like they should have and out the door I went.
I did not think much more about it while I checked off the to-do list items and was making great progress. In fact, such progress was being made that I added to the to-do list as I went so, I could be even further ahead for the coming days and maybe even weeks. By the time noon came I not only had my initial to-do list knocked out, but the added items were also complete. I was feeling great and ready for some more enjoyable aspects of the weekend.
Upon returning to get out of my work clothes I discovered the other pair of jeans which were tossed aside because they were too large for me to wear. I knew that they could not be my brides as she is much smaller than me. If they would have been too tight, I would have considered that as a possibility that her jeans mistakenly ended up in my drawer. This was not the case. Thus, the mystery started to unfold.
I bring this story to your attention this week because as business leaders we tend to compartmentalize a whole bunch of stuff into a one size fits all approach to running our organizations. Even if the reaction to a situation is too much or in the case of my pants – oversized, business leaders still use the reaction to treat the situation even when it does not fit the situation. Rather than seeking a different size reaction to a situation they just simply move forward with the one in their hands and make the best of it. They don’t stop and take into consideration the possible implications of having the wrong reaction, or in my example, the wrong pants.
This week as leaders in your organization, take the time to make sure you have the right sized reaction for the situation you are dealing with in your organization. Too large of a reaction can cause additional challenges just like too small of a reaction or simply ignoring it hoping it will go away does not address the situation.
To help in navigating these types of situations, the more you and your team understand, appreciate, and use the Core Purpose, Values and Vision of the organization to craft decisions, the more consistent and effective the outcomes will be. Without this foundational framework in place the reactions can be all over the board or you end up using a one size fits all approach to fixing all challenges.
PS – The too large of work jeans were left over from days gone by. Somehow they ended up back in my drawer rather than in the donation pile 😊
A Promise Guide can assist you in getting a framework in place, so you don’t end up defaulting to a one size fits all approach to running your business. Give JKL Associates a call at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS – EMAIL US AT PARTNERS@JKLASSOCIATES.COM OR CALL OUR OFFICES – MI AT (313) 527-7945 FL AT (407) 984-7246
Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
