 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
The Devil We Know
"I'm in an abusive relationship," sighed Andrew. "My bookkeeper annoys the hell out of me but I just can't let him go. I keep hoping he'll improve? it's torture. Why do I do this to myself." "You've already answered that question," I replied. "You're in an abusive relationship. Would you feel better knowing that many business owners are in the same boat? They've outsourced a task or made concessions to a delinquent account with hope of reducing the stress, but it only made matters worse." "I'd be better off taking the bookkeeping back and doing it myself," Andrew suggested. "That's not dealing with the underlying issue," I countered. "You outsourced the bookkeeping because you're not good at it, so taking it back does not serve your primary goal. You need a bookkeeper that will do the task and serve you, the customer." "Right! But how do I get rid of him? He has my files, my receipts, all my information. How do I get that back without starting a confrontation?" he asked. "Oh, I see. You want to bail out but not deal with the consequences. So the issue is with you, not him. You'd rather stay with the devil you know than the devil you don't," I said. "So what's the better action?" he asked. Andrew is struggling with a dilemma many business owners wrestle with: an unwillingness to confront poor performance. Whether it's with an employee, an overdue account or a business relationship, they would rather bitch and complain about a lack of performance than deal with the fallout. The pain associated with a focused, corrective action is greater than stretching it out over time. Do you take off the bandage in a quick rip, or are you prone to pull it off hair by hair? Do you plunge into the cold lake, or slowly wade in? "Actually your problem is the result of not taking action. You're enduring the suffering because you refuse to go through the process of letting him go and finding someone more competent," I replied. "This is all about you." Oftentimes when we are faced with challenges, we place the blame 'out there'; someone or something is doing us wrong. But in reality, we're just refusing to get clear on what we want. And if you're not clear on what you want, you can't initiate a decisive action. In most situations where inferior performance is causing grief, we know what corrective action is needed but we will do almost anything to avoid going through the anguish that a focused action brings. In Andrew's case, terminating the relationship and retrieving the information, plus starting over with someone new, was daunting enough to override his frustration with the current situation. So instead of dealing with the real issue, Andrew is left to manipulate consequences. We go to silly extremes to avoid pain, like pulling off the bandage hair by hair! Getting clear is always the first step. What outcome do you want? Plotting the action to achieve that outcome is the second step. If you're not clear on what you want, any action you take will only complicate the situation. And since most people avoid getting clear first, they land up manipulating the consequences of hanging onto the devil they know. "What do you want the outcome to be?" I asked Andrew. "Tell me in 10 words or less." Once you're clear, few words are needed. "To get my bookkeeping on track and up-to-date," Andrew replied. "Great! And what action will that take?" "Deal decisively with my current bookkeeper, get my stuff back and find someone new," he replied. "Right! But not just 'someone new', you want someone competent. Remember that your clarity will determine how decisive your action - and the response to it - will be. So if you give your bookkeeper another chance or leave it to him to return your files, your wavering will have a consequence on the outcome. If you're going to 'rip the bandage off' then make the action complete. A half-assed action only complicates things." Hanging out with the devil we know is a common business habit. How often do you cajole with customers or network with clients even though you know the possibility of ever doing business with them is remote. Instead of moving on and finding new leads or business relationships, you fool yourself with a false sense of comfort. Why invest your time and money and more importantly, your emotional substance, into relationships that will never bear fruit? Like Andrew, we really do know better. Luke Vorstermans owns and manages a successful publishing and communications company and is the Editor of Business Dynamics magazine and content contributor to IR Design.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Innovation Management - Selecting Good Ideas Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Improvements In A Large Public Electric Utility In South America The company decided to develop and implement an improvement program. The main thrust was to propose strategies and alternatives for the implementation of a quality program. Creativity and Innovation Management: Incubation and Insight Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Innovation Management: The Time Factor Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. The Retailers Calendar The Julian calendar we use to pass the time every day, every week, every month and every year is the one most commonly used by businesses. Its general availability and familiarity make it a natural selection. Performance Management - By Assuming Nothing Unhappy as Jenny undoubtedly was, she held on very tightly to her job. After all, she had worked her way up over the years to the supervisory role she was in - and she wasn't going to let go. Project Management - I Want It ALL The knee-jerk response to prioritizing requirements is to mark everything as a must-have . "I need everything before the product becomes generally available. Influencing Change - A Guide for Sellers, Coaches, and Supervisors When people or groups make a decision to purchase something, they go through the same decision cycle that an individual goes through to decide upon a personal change, or an employee goes through to change behaviors at a boss's insistence.Until now, our communication rules have assumed that when we kindly or persuasively offer others good information that could solve problems and achieve successful results, or coach them toward making a much-needed change, or even just pitch a product they sorely need, we can expect a positive reception. Is ISO 9001 2000 Right For My Business? Firstly you should decide your own reasoning behind considering ISO 9001 2000 registration for your business.Is the number of registrations in your market sector increasing?Are your competitors seeking registration?Are your customers asking about registration?Are registrations increasing in your industry?Are your customers asking you to become registered?Have your group HQ asked you to gain registration?Do you want to reap the financial benefits of registration?Have the number of customer or consumer complaints increased?Preventable errors reoccur again and again?It is not possible to state exactly what benefits your organization will gain by having a formal quality system, primarily because each organisation is different. Delegate Tasks to the Right Person SELECTING THE RIGHT PERSON: To whom should tasks be delegated? Selecting the right subordinate to do the work is an evaluative process, and managers must be able to identify individuals both capable and willing to handle responsibility.DETERMINING EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY: A careful review should be made of past assumptions about personnel. CEOs Role in Family Business I first met Roland (not his real name) in 1972. He was a high school student working a summer job in his father's business. The Best Way to Keep Track of Meetings How should you keep track of meetings?Have you ever wanted to run away from a meeting? I worked for one of the top five companies in the US and they seemed to hold meetings to plan meetings. It absolutely drove me around the bend! I would try and multi-task like all the other participants and secretly hoped they would not call on me for any information. Training Managers and New Trainers Training managers use many of the same interpersonal and analytical skills that other types of departments use. In particular, they need to be good communicators, and highly skillful in interpersonal relations. 5 Questions Great Managers Ask (and they arent hard!) However hard we try, we seem to make life more difficult for ourselves; more challenging; more complex. Yet it needn't be so. Building A Stellar Business One Employee At A Time Top businesses that continually lead their industry clearly understand a simple fact:People are their most vital assets.Every employee plays a key role in the company. Innovation Management - Raw brainpower versus experience Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. The Diamond Cutter Geshe Michael Roach is a Princeton graduate and a Buddhist monk. After graduation, he spent seven years studying the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism. Problem-Solving Success Tip: Define the Problem First Define the Problem First. It seems obvious, but how many times have we gone to a problem-solving meeting and the discussion started with either whose fault was it or an assertion about the proper solution?Explain what the problem is-what went wrong, what are the symptoms, what is the impact on your business and your customer's business. Why Employees Are the Best Source of Cost-cutting Ideas Cost cutting has become a necessary and important reality in the modern corporate world. Yet many executives do not realize that their people are actually the best source of cost reduction ideas. What One Thing? A few weeks ago I asked my readers what the most important issue was in their business. Hundreds responded with a variety of answers, but one of the most common was, "How do I get everything that needs doing done?" Happily, I have an answer for this question, but like many things in life, it carries both good news and bad news.
|
|
|
 |
 |
