Ah, the joys of driving. You’d think that when folks get behind the wheel they’d actually try to appreciate them instead of doing a dozen other things that distract them. I was reminded of this again this morning as I came back from the dentist (great way to start the day, I know) and came to a series of red lights. Now, I admit I’m from the “anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac” school of thinking. However, this morning brought out another thought and of course there’s a business link to it.
I was traveling at a busy time – people heading to work and to school – and so most of the traffic lights had a tail back. However, as they turned green, inevitably there was a driver who wasn’t paying attention – maybe they were sipping coffee, maybe they were reading email or texting – and the line wouldn’t move. You’d see a car or two go through the light and then there was a delay. You’d see a big gap in the traffic and then someone hurtle through the intersection in an effort to catch up. They weren’t ready and then rushed to keep up.
It’s often that way in business. People are settled in at a stop light of sorts and then realize that the conditions around them have changed. They need to move. Now! You see it in the almost daily announcements of some business doing something you realize they should have done 6 months or a year ago. They’re late to discussions of shifting marketing to digital. They are just now finding out about social media. They are beginning to ask questions about web data and what it all means. The light changed and they were standing still. Maybe it isn’t the entire business – maybe it’s just an out of touch manager.
Obviously the traffic lights in our business lives are less visible but they’re just as critical to our progress. When they turn green – and they are much of the time – we need to keep moving as we pay attention to the traffic around us. It’s different in business, however. The line of fellow travelers won’t wait. You’ll just end up sitting there, alone and left behind.
Are you watching the lights? Are you ready to go?
Consult Keith 