When I visit a business, I immediately learn a lot about its leader simply by looking at a trash can. I’m not talking about a dumpster but rather the trash cans that are in public view.
You’ve probably seen them, overflowing with garbage. In these instances, you almost always need to throw something away. Adding your trash, without touching the tower of garbage is both tricky and icky.
While some may argue that a trash can is beneath a leader’s time, I’ve found that it demonstrates the leader’s attention to detail. If the trash that is in public view is being neglected, then some of the “big things” may also be suffering.
To Clear the Path of this leadership challenge, which really doesn’t have much to do with garbage, let’s consider these tips:
Attention to Detail
Sometimes the reason why the trash is overflowing is because the bag inside the can has not been properly opened. You can have the most beautiful trash can and the biggest bags but if they’re not used correctly, the results will be a mess.
It sounds silly to ask this but has the person who picks up the trash been shown how to fully insert and expand the fresh bag? Simply instructing someone to, “pick up the trash,” can lead to shortcuts and mistakes. Don’t assume that someone knows what you want.
Why should you care? Businesses that spend thousands of dollars on advertising can have all that good promotion undone by a trash bag that costs a few cents.
If you take the time to train someone well once, you shouldn’t have an ongoing problem.
The Unexpected
Not all days produce the same amount of garbage. What happens when there is more than was expected? Too often, it’s allowed to pile up in plain sight.
Is it a good thing for your customers to see an overflowing trash can?
If it’s not, then you need to make sure the mess is addressed right away. No excuses like, the janitor’s schedule, can be used as a reason not to clean up. At the end of the day, if there’s an overflowing trash can, it needs to be addressed before the doors open the next day. Someone, regardless of title, needs to do it.
Unexpected things happen to businesses all the time. Don’t allow your team to ignore an obvious problem.
Accountability
If you’ve outlined clear expectations for trash removal, then you should not have to revisit problems. You need to hold people accountable for their work.
This is not to say that processes can’t be updated if something changes or the unexpected occurs. For instance, if one janitor can’t keep up with the mess, then maybe you need to hire another. Or maybe you need to invest in larger trash cans.
But as a leader, you should not have investigate the problem. The person responsible for the task should bring you several potential solutions. That’s when you should become involved, either accepting one of the ideas or coming up with one of your own.
You want empowered employees, not just people who accept the status quo.
Final Thought
What other problems have people become accustomed to or accept without question?
