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t's the kind of little mistake that
can happen easily but be hard to
overcome.The following story is
true and is from a few years ago.
And in case you're wondering no
one was fired.
Imagine a fundraising lunch for a
respectable nonprofit. Hundreds of people
arrive at an attractive venue. They line up
at a registration table to find out where
the/llbe sitting.
The names are arranged alpha-
beticaily, and that's ground zero for the
problem.You need to understand that the
cards are dMded into four equal sections
by letter and each is designated with a
sign that gives the range of letters for the
respective section.
The first section is for those with last
names that match up with the letters"l('
through"E." The sign says,"A-E.'
The next group is for the letters"F"
through"K."Do you see how this might be
a problem?You see, the sign says,"F-K."
For the pure of heart this may mean
nothing to you and that's great. But for
some, it suggests a four-letter word. So
you have people who have paid hundreds
of dollars to attend your event and their
first brand experience ts"F-K."
It gives me a good bellylaugh, but
this is an example of a common problem
for busy organizations:Ydu get so focused
on completing tasks that you forget to see
the big picfure.
The staff member had been given
the task of dividing up the attendee list
into four equal groups by alphabet. That
person was in a hurry.l.A4ren you rush
to get the job done, you don't take
a moment to look at the sign and
decide that the range might be less
controversial
as"E-K."The
task was done
but in this
case, it's about
more than just
completing the
work but also
reviewing it.
zVhen
people are
under pressure and in ahurry, they start
making mistakes. It could be a sign, a
decimal point on an invoice, or phone
message sent to the wrong extension.
As a leade1, you need to get your team
to slow down from time to time. Some may
feel this will hurt overall productivity. But to
clear the path of this scenariq you
eliminate mistakes before they
fixing them usually takes a lot longer
the original mistake.
Otherwisg you'11 be like the
who only cracks the book open ontln
night before the big test. A lot of the
you'll squeak by...bare1y. But, is this'"
best way to get an education?
Protect your team and protect
time so silly mistakes wont defineyu
organization. &
The path to success is an obstacle
not a straight line. That's what Ken
learned after a career in TV news,
a professional ballet company and
nizing hurricane relief volunteers. Ken
you change the way you
approach challenges. Het
the host of the "2 Minute
Takeaway Podcast," the
writer of "TheWhiner of ile
Week" column and the
of the upcoming book "Love
It or Shove lt." For more.
54 NFA e FIAME | 2013 ISSUE 1