While it’s good to want to improve things at work, would your productivity improve if you learned how to embrace your imperfect solution? Also does the quest for perfection become a stall tactic for making tough decisions elsewhere?
Every day we make decision where an imperfect solution is an option. For instance, I am nearsighted and for years I’ve corrected the problem with contact lenses. Over time my reading vision has gotten worse due to age and the vision adjustment for nearsightedness.
I could use bifocal glasses or contacts to fix the problem but neither appeals to me. I’m not a candidate for laser eye surgery.
My imperfect solution for small print is to use reading magnification glasses or the magnifying app on my phone. It’s an extra step but one that I can live with. To solve the problem, I spent about two dollars on the reading glasses. It’s not a perfect solution but a perfectly functional one.
Not all solutions or changes are good and smart leaders understand when it’s okay to stick with the status quo. Here are some reasons why you should embrace your imperfect solution at work:
Time
Whether it’s researching the marketplace or learning how to use something new, change can take up a lot of your time. Set limits on how much you can afford to invest in new solutions.
Weigh the benefits of the change with the cost of disruption of making a change. It may be worth doing but brainstorm possible problems with your team, before acting.
Money
Does the change eventually produce a savings or a considerable productivity advantage? If not, then it may not represent a good financial investment. Sticking with what you already have may be your best bet.
An exception could include aging equipment or software that is either breaking or not working as well as it once did. While a new solution may cost you more, sticking with an existing problem carries its own price tag.
Acceptable Results
You can become seduced by shiny new objects. Every year, new products and services come out and many are very attractive. But while you may want them, do you really need them?
For instance, practically the moment you redesign or rebuild your company website, some part of it will become slightly out-of-date. That industry constantly evolves.
You could pay someone to keep it cutting edge but would the changes really make a difference to your bottom line? Or are the improvements mostly felt in the pockets of website salespeople?
Stick with what works, while it’s still working well. Maybe improvements could be set on a three year schedule, rather than constant change.
The Right Focus
Do you use the quest to find the perfect solution to your problems, as a way to avoid addressing them. Often, there is a root cause of an issue that an upgrade won’t necessarily solve.
For example, a poorly performing customer service team may not become much better with a new phone system. Their problem is likely training, the wrong people in the wrong jobs, or poor supervision.
Solving any of these issues isn’t fun and may take a lot of time. But that’s the path you need to take to progress.
Final Thought
A good reason to change something may not be the best reason to make a change. You may be fine sticking with what you have.
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