I recently worked with a group of people faced with a troublesome problem. (OK, wasn’t that a repetitively redundant statement? “Troublesome problem.” IKR). It isn’t necessary for you to know the specifics of this “troublesome problem”. Just go with me…
The Team of people worked hard at finding a solution and finally hit on one that caught everybody’s attention. When I heard it, I was immediately reminded of an Aesop Fable about a bell and a cat. Maybe you remember it.
Let me remind you. There once was a group of mice who were constantly living a life-and-death existence because of a cat who hunted the mice for its daily meal. Somebody came up with the idea of putting a bell around the cat’s neck so that the noise from the bell would always alert the mice to where the cat was. Every one of the mice thought this was a great solution to their problem.
Which brings me to my workplace-teachable-moment. Sometimes the easy part is coming up with what seems like a great plan. But, a plan is only as good as the “action” that takes the plan from idea to action.
Or, said another way, maybe we should always try to figuratively, “break the plan” before we “bet our life” on the outcome. It could be time well spent.
So, back to my story lesson: All we have to do is figure out which mouse is going to place the bell around the cat’s neck. OK, who wants to do the placing….?
So, the next time you find yourself faced with a problem and need a plan, remember to “test” the seeming solution by trying-to-break-it before you bet your, or somebody’s figurative life on implementing it. Even if you are willing to bell-the-cat yourself.
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