“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy to way to do it” -Bill Gates
I hear this quote often, and the idea of it rings true. When I look to solve problems at Service Express, I search for those who are dedicated to finding the most effective way to solve process gaps. Some people thrive off long hours and the grind and as you transition into leadership, if you lead with nothing but the grind mindset, you will burn out your team and yourself. Your people are not looking for a leader who is going to pile the work on them. Of course, I like it when leaders have work ethic, but I’m not convinced that hours fall into efficiency or productivity.
Our COO Dwight transitioned to our service delivery team after it was previously led by someone who focused on long hours, hard work and running every task through them before being completed. This process was not scaleable, and it was burning everyone out. Dwight stepped into this role and he spent a week receiving calls after hours and in the middle of the night. Soon after, he decided something had to be done, so he put together a new way to solve the issue and create efficiency. This new solution restructured the points of contact, streamlining the process and involving critical members of the team when needed.
When you thinking about how you’re solving problems in your organization, do you think about removing the friction? I’m always looking for leaders who address issues head-on and find ways to improve processes without burning their people out along the way. I encourage you to view inefficiencies in a new light and find innovative ways to fill the gaps. As always, I would love to hear your feedback or experiences!
