In the movie Apollo 13, there is a scene where Mission Control is in bedlam as everyone is jabbering away about the crisis over the rising carbon monoxide levels that might kill the three Apollo astronauts. At this point, the head of Mission Control shouts for quiet and tells everyone, “We have a problem. Let’s work the problem.”
I would suggest that everyone should just calm down and work the problems in your life.
Whether it is your attitude, your technical skill, your management ability or your leadership talent that is holding you back, stop and start working the problem. If you have relationship problems with someone, work the problem. If you lack technical knowledge or experience, work the problem. If you are in poor physical shape, overweight, and not feeling great, work the problem.
Stop sitting around wishing, hoping and praying that your life gets better. Fix one problem at a time. I suggest the first one you fix is your health or the others really won’t matter much.
I have been working with a company that can save most organizations millions of dollars in the benefit costs. I have sent letters to many of them. I have only heard back from one and they are working on implementing the cost savings now. In fact this company has such a unique way of recovering the costs from the providers that it is a home run.
The problem is that these executives are not focused on the right issues. Benefit costs are killing them and they are not working the problem. I hope that you fix the right problem before you focus on the little issues that are just noise….Lee
Lee:
Focusing on the right issues is an on-going challenge in many organizations. Most of them tend to boil down to a strategic vs a tactical focus, as well as understaning the needs of the different constituency groups-from the corporate executives through the rings of the organization -to customer groups.
In my opinion the emphasis should be on “need” vs want. Henry Ford once said, “If I asked the customers what they wanted they would have told me a faster horse.”
People never seem to get fulfilled with their wants. There is always another one. But if you can find what they truly need, then they will beat a path to your door. Of course, this stuff is not easy. Knowing the path is the first step, but it won’t get you very far. Working the steps along the path give you the opportunity to discover and create something meaningful and valuable in human relations, and maybe, (and in a poor second place) in the marketplace.
Ben
Amen brother…..We are in France on vacation. Daniel comes Saturday…..I need to communicate with Caroline. What is her email?….Lee
Lee:
Great words of advice, most importantly about getting yourself healthy first. Many times we neglect ourselves for the sake of others forgetting that if we are not healthy we really can’t help others as well as we think.
As always, thanks for the reminders.
Jon