Pay Attention to the Foundation
Don’t be the Rogue Shortcut Guy
My house was built in the 1940s. I don’t know much about the people who lived here before me, but I have questions. The green shag carpet? The blue flowered wallpaper glued on with a mystery adhesive almost impossible to remove?
The cosmetic issues I was able to see and solve soon after I moved in. But every time we get anything fixed or remodeled, more questions come up. Right now, an electrician is upgrading the kitchen in preparation for a new oven, and he’s shaking his head in disbelief. He pointed out a cord to me, an actual extension cord that was used inside the wall instead of wire. For decades.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Who would do that?”
Like I said, I have questions.
This happens in the workplace all the time. Some previous manager decided on a process that makes no sense now. It might have made sense then, or it may have always been a folly. Decisions about infrastructure, from software to HVAC, are made quickly and without thought, often driven only by cost considerations. And years later, as people huddle beneath coats in offices where the air is so cold their breath is visible, someone has to get that fixed. It sucks if that someone is you. It’s worse if you didn’t see it coming.
First, know your house.
I understand that much of the work done on my house over the years was done by a person who paid no attention to building codes, long term effectiveness or common sense. I call him Rogue Shortcut Guy. Now, whenever any work is needed, even just installing a new appliance, I add in costs to the budget to account for the inevitable surprises. Sometimes everything looks good. Usually, I’m aghast, like when the contractor told me the toilet was about to fall through the floor. I thought I was replacing the tile, not the floor. Surprise!
You should know if your business has an adequate foundation. If you don’t, get curious. Just because you know about the boss before you, don’t mean there wasn’t someone before that person who shirked. Stability in one era doesn’t guarantee stability in another. One of the previous owners of my house might have been great, but their work was undone by Rogue Shortcut Guy.
Pay attention to the details.
This will not be fun for those of us who are more creative, big picture thinkers. Add it to the other list of survival-oriented tasks we don’t like doing, like going to the dentist or installing a smoke alarm. Look at it all: long term contracts for services or real estate, your company’s client contracts, software, hardware. Once, I was trying to turn around a company that was sinking fast, and I found a contract with a vendor that I looked at the same way my electrician looked at the ancient extension cord snaking below my sink. The terms of this contract were terrible, and the only window for renegotiating had just passed and wouldn’t come around for another year. The owner didn’t even know the contract terms, let alone the renewal terms, and it was a completely unnecessary liability which cost the company tons of money. Someone needs to be up to speed on the boring, dull, legal, financial and technical infrastructure of your company. Really.
Plan and budget for upgrades and repairs.
Budget for the changes you can’t or won’t do now. You should have a strategic and financial plan, and that plan should include the costs for fixing the boring but important things. If your org had a Rogue Shortcut Guy, add in enough padding to budget for fixing his legacy crazy. Plan on hiring consultants who are experts to tell you how to effectively manage your money, your taxes, your cash flow. Have a lawyer and HR expert go through your contracts, client agreements, NDAs, employee contracts, employee handbooks, social media policies, etc etc etc.
Don’t get discouraged.
Even if you find some unpleasant surprises, at least you can make a plan. I love my house. There are many quirky aspects that I enjoy, and I am grateful that it has sailed through some large earthquakes with nary a crack. I assume there is something functional and positive about your workplace, or you wouldn’t be considering how to make it strong long term. I think all of us as managers want to be good stewards of our workplace, the kind of tenants where the future residents look back and think, wow, someone thought this through, someone took pride in their work. Be the Steady Attention to Basics person, not the Rogue Shortcut Guy. Those who follow you will thank you.