A lot of people ask me for a quick leadership tip that can transform their business instantly. This is a tough request because most problems require careful thought and consideration. They’re not like Pop-Tarts.
Then the answer came to me: Stop watering your weeds.
There are many beautiful gardens in South Florida and when you visit one, it’s easy to understand that the groundskeepers are constantly fighting a battle to keep the area looking its best. A big part of that is removing weeds. In a warm climate, you can almost blink and see a new weed emerge from the ground.
Weeds, if unchecked, will continue to aggressively grow and choke out the more desirable plants.
Any resources that you give your plants, like water, fertilizer, and good soil are also enjoyed by the weeds. You need to get rid of these pests as soon as possible.
Go to an abandoned lot and what do you see? Lots of weeds.
In your business, you will have little problems that are like weeds. It could be a copier frequently breaking, a lack of customer service training, or delaying the filling of a needed position.
What happens when you ignore these problems? You’re watering your weeds. Not only are you helping the problems stay alive, you’re helping them grow. Most problems, if left unsolved, will grow worse over time.
While I understand that these problems may not top your list of most important tasks, collectively they will hold you back and the longer you wait to address them, the harder they will be to solve.
To Clear the Path of this draining situation, pick one day a month when all you do is address your weeds. Tell your staff that this will be the day when action will be taken and ignored problems will be addressed. On this day, they are responsible for providing you with the information you’ll need to make a decision. It is not your job to start solving the issue from square one.
Like a garden, the first time you do this problem weeding process, it will likely take a lot of time. But once you’ve developed the routine, you’ll find there will be fewer problems living in your garden.
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