I’ve just fixed our kitchen tap (or faucet for our North American subscribers). Well, I say I fixed it. To be honest, the tap has been dripping for the past few weeks but has now, for reasons I don’t understand, stopped dripping. In other words, it’s fixed itself.
As a result, I haven’t wasted time finding out what washer is required, buying it, looking at YouTube videos to work out how to install it, and then having two or three unsuccessful goes to fit it before asking my wife if she could possibly sort it out instead.
Sometimes, the best approach is to do nothing. When I worked in a big organisation –admittedly nearly 20 years ago! – I noticed that when I went on holiday, issues that I would normally be heavily involved in were miraculously resolved without my input before my return.
My conclusion was that I was getting involved in too many issues that didn’t really warrant my attention. I enjoyed knowing what was happening and being seen to be resolving issues and problems, but, in reality, I was just meddling where I wasn’t really needed.
The New Year is a time of resolutions, 99% of which probably focus on the new things you’re going to do. My advice is to focus on what you’re going to stop doing, or do less of, so that you can have a greater impact on the issues and initiatives where you’re really needed.
So, what are the dripping taps in your organisation that you should be ignoring rather than trying to fix?
Off The Record: Do Nothing by The Specials
I’m just living in a life without meaning
I walk and walk, do nothing
I’m just living in a life without feeling
I talk and talk, say nothing
By the way, I’ve now created a Spotify list of all the songs that have featured in Business Rocks to date, including this week’s track. It’s handily titled, Stuart’s Business Rocks Playlist. Please feel free to add it to your playlists library so that you can get some musical inspiration whenever you need it. The link is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xGVaJSHxzqgQX9IAfmkTA?si=bdb8673e11e74381
Thanks for all your support and encouragement!