Joe just bought the latest smartphone. It’s also his first. He has always been intrigued by the devices and decided he deserved the top of the line model.
Unfortunately, a few days after Joe bought the phone, it’s little more than an expensive paperweight on his desk. Why?
The problem is that Joe has no idea how to use a smartphone. He’s so frustrated with it that he can’t even make an outgoing call.
Does Joe try to get help? No, because his pride won’t allow it. Before long the smartphone is tossed into a drawer.
While you may be highly skilled with smartphones, I’m guessing that somewhere in your office, there is a piece of equipment that’s been equally neglected. It’s your paperweight.
When it was purchased, a lot was expected from this new thing. But something went wrong or never happened. Now it is a daily reminder of waste and failure.
Or does it have to be? Here are some suggestions for Clearing the Path of all those paperweights whose promise is unfulfilled.
Stop Waiting
There will always be other important things to do but you need to make time to learn, what you need, to get the most out of your paperweight. Hire an expert to show you the ropes if you don’t have time to start from square one.
Break the habit of using a lack of time as an excuse to not educate yourself.
Success Comes in Pairs
Make sure that at least two people always know how to use your paperweight. Too many times, the only person who understands it leaves your business and the knowledge is lost.
Make a Decision
Stop giving free rent to things that once held promise. If you know that you’ll never use them, then it’s time to cut the cord and move on.
From our scenario, Joe could sell his smartphone and get some of his money back. But first, he needs to either commit himself to learning how to use it or decide that it’s not for him.
There’s a power that comes with making decisions about lingering problems. Don’t let yours become paperweights.
