When you empower the clueless, you usually create a problem that will take a lot of time and energy to fix. Here’s an example:
Imagine that you’re in charge of organizing a conference. Part of this event includes prepared, hot lunches that are served while the attendees network at tables or listen to experts give a talk. As part of the registration process, attendees had to select whether they wanted the beef, chicken, or vegetarian option.
As the conference is taking place, you feel proud of you and your team’s efforts. Then, unexpectedly, the clueless are empowered.
As the servers begin to take out the food, an attendee notices the vegetarian option. “I want that,” the person tells the server. The server immediately lays down the plate and moves on.
Why did someone who previously indicated a preference for beef, suddenly want the vegetarian option? It could be as simple as that plate looked better. Or that morning, the person decided to start eating healthier. The decision was made without any thought of the big picture or the consequences it will produce at the event.
The problem is that a set amount of vegetarian plates were made and now one has just been taken. A short while later, someone who was supposed to have received it, has no food. The following then happens:
- You and the catering manager are called over to hear complaints from the unserved vegetarian.
- A new vegetarian entree can be created but it will take time.
- The rest of the table is distracted by the proceedings. They don’t know if they should start eating or wait. Some, fueled by hunger pains, take a negative view of the unserved person, feeling that their eating preferences shouldn’t be such a big deal.
- The missing food also prevents those at the table from being able to network or listen to the presenters as the missing food issue is impossible to ignore.
As a leader, you will be affected by the unexpected. But by having certain policies in place, you can contain their impact on you and you time.
- The person who switched meals was clueless about how the food situation is organized. Give attendees a colored ticket that reminds them what they picked as well as let the servers know what each person has ordered.
- The servers were clueless that giving the wrong meal to someone would produce a problem down the road. Make sure they understand that if there is a limited amount of food, it’s okay to say, “No,” or “Let me check.”
- Either you or the kitchen was clueless to the fact that people will either change or forget their meal choices. Can an agreement be put in place where extra items can be quickly produced in these instances?
In this scenario, the goal is to put on a good meeting, not to referee lunch issues. By not thinking through all that could go wrong, you created an opportunity for the clueless to ruin your plans.
Mentally walk through the event, ahead of time, to discover all potential problems, make sure your team understands what requests they are allowed to grant without checking with a supervisor, and have a backup plan that can be quickly implemented.
If you continue to leave these matters to chance, the actions of the clueless will eat up your productive time.
