Edition 466 – Hiding Our Limitations
I once fancied myself as a handyman around the place, when we lived in our time warp first home in Bradbury, in south western Sydney. Funds were tight back then, and in an attempt to drag our chocolate shag piled carpeted, bright yellow kitchen bench topped home out of the 70’s, I took on some home renovation projects that tested my skills, and my patience.
Along one side of the lounge room wall was nothing but two, odd, narrow rectangular windows. Houses in the 70’s often had some design quirk, and these windows, with their opaque, amber appearance, with the weirdest of cylindrical designs on them, must have been the signature statement of the project home builder, back in the day. Except, I always disliked them, and long wanted to do something about them.
In the end, I ventured out, purchased some Gyprock, tools and plaster, and decided to tackle the issue. I removed the architraves, measured and cut the plasterboard, then proceeded to cover up the windows. It was hot, hard work and I must admit, I swore a lot. Let’s just say that my ambition very much outweighed my ability, to the point that, once the job was done, I longed to see those windows again.
Try as I might, I couldn’t rectify the issue. In saying that, I probably didn’t try that hard, as I really didn’t want to progress to Gyprocking 2.0. So, when our home went on the market, and the eyesore in our lounge room created by my handy work, continued to blight the space, I came up with a solution. Rather than engage a professional to do the job, I merely moved the giant ’90’s style timber television cabinet over to the spot and, by chance, it managed to block out the horror of my carpentry ambitions. Problem solved, and eventually, house sold.
I see this all the time in small and family businesses. We hide our limitations by either:
- Not acknowledging them, so, in effect, hiding them; or
- Dealing with something else that is perceived to have a higher priority, but really doesn’t.
Our staff don’t perform a certain function in their role, because they don’t understand a particular element of it. So, rather than try and learn that particular element, they push that function back, and occupy their day with the things they can do. That key function remains undone, until someday, a crisis erupts.
Business owners don’t performance manage their staff early enough when the storm clouds appear on the horizon, because they don’t like conflict. Except, the longer you put off the conversation, the more underprepared you are, and, eventually, it becomes a significant HR issue for the business. It’s no longer a storm, but a category 5 cyclone, bearing down on your business.
When a significant client expresses disappointment in the quality of your product, or the level of service, the management team, rather than meeting face to face and resolving the issue, start to death spiral the relationship, by talking disparagingly about the client, and their issues, behind their back. Yet, when the client leaves, and it creates a revenue and profit hole, is it not the inactions of the management team, that has left the business completely exposed?
What are you doing to hide your own limitations, in your family business?
What help do you need, internal or external, to help you work through those limitations?
Do you need to recruit expertise, from someone you’ve not previously engaged, to take the matter off your hands completely, and ensure it’s done as it should be?
This Week’s Tip
“Often, the time we take, worrying about an issue, consumes more energy,
than seeking a solution, elsewhere.”