If you’re a leader, do you find yourself quick to issue disclaimers whenever something goes wrong? Maybe it’s time to ditch the disclaimers as they are providing you with a convenient excuse that justifies mediocrity.
Take for instance the growing online practice where you ask people to vote on things, like various versions of potential book covers. You display the covers and ask people to vote and comment on their choices.
It sounds like a good way to get immediate feedback on a project, right? It is but I’ve noticed something starting to enter these discussions. Disclaimers by the creator of the post.
You’ll see something like this: Please tell me which of these four covers you like best. I don’t like any of them but I have to move forward with one.
As you might guess, it’s the second part, the disclaimer, where I have an issue. If you don’t like the designs, then do them again. In effect, you’re asking me to care more about the project than you do. And should I devote a lot of brainpower to this task?
I’m sure this disclaimer is full of a lot of excuses. There’s deadline pressure, the cover designer didn’t get your vision, and you had to tend to a sick relative. Ultimately, your work is a reflection of you, no matter the reason. If I’m picking up a sense that you’re willing to put out less than your best work, then what will be your target market’s impression?
Disclaimers can take other forms. Consider the office that has two entry doors but one has a sign on it that says it’s broken. This is understandable until you realize that the sign has been up for more than a year.
The door could be easily fixed but the leader has decided to live with the problem. Of course, it’s a problem that leaves an impression on anyone who enters the business.
Often, people issue disclaimers because they think that fixing the problem will take too much time. Think of it like a weed that will only grow as the days add up.
Imagine the author who enjoys a successful book but hates the ugly cover that is on bookshelves. Or consider the business where its number one customer walked into a door because he didn’t have the time to read the sign that said it was broken.
Pay attention to how often you issue a disclaimer instead of fixing a problem.
Ditch the disclaimers. Get things right the first time.
If you enjoyed this post, then you’ll like the chapter in my book, Stuck on Yellow, that’s called, The Hammer Should Blame the Nail.
