Identifying the problem often leads to a solution; or gets
us some of the way.
So here’s my list of what stops us getting on with what needs doing:
1. Fear. We are complex creatures so fear includes fear
of failure, fear of success, fear of trying but not succeeding, fear of doing
it wrong, fear of making a mistake, fear or looking foolish, or fear of not
doing it as well as someone else. Plus
lots more things we are frightened of, but hide away.
2. Too
difficult. We don’t have the
knowledge, we haven’t thought about what needs doing, we haven’t broken the job
into small enough tasks, or we haven’t consulted with people we need to consult
with.
3. Conflicting
priorities. Real or imagined. We have other more important, more
interesting, or easier things to do.
4. Need
additional resources. We may need
advice, money, or something from someone to get the job done.
5. Lack of
urgency. Important things are rarely
urgent, and vice versa, which means the big, important things need extra
attention to get done.
6. Lack of
perceived importance. Tidiness,
planning, communication, taking time off.
Many low-level activities don’t appear to be important and only show
their value when something gets lost, or missed, or someone wasn’t consulted.
Of course this list isn’t exhaustive, nor is it
necessarily real. Or at least each and
every item is real until you put it under the microscope and examine it for the
paper dragon it is.
No comments:
Post a comment