Taking The Trash Out-The Importance of Acting Quickly During a Recession

Making coffee this morning made me think about why it's so important for organizations to act quickly during a recession.

Last night my trash approached the brim of the container, a banana peel and a box of Special K rounded the top of the can. It was rainy and late and I figured, "no big deal, I'll take it out in the morning." This morning alarm clock goes off, zombie like I wander into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Quickly and with a lack of attention I took the reusable filter out from the day before and tapped it into the already overflowing trash. The grounds tumbled off the cereal box, did a somersault over the banana peel and used the rim of the trash can as a pummel horse to eject themselves all over the floor of my kitchen. If you've ever spilled coffee grounds on a tile floor you know how impossible it is to deal with each tiny grain. There nearly impossible to scoop up with a wet sponge or a paper towel, it seems as if your simply spreading them around.

As an organization don't put off taking the trash out. Taking the trash out means first asking but then doing:

What isn't working for your organization?

Equally as important is asking what is?

What needs to be changed?

Where are we failing and where are we succeeding?

What innovations are hopeless? Which ones are can we move forward with now?

The second and most critical step is where I failed with the coffee and where most organizations get hung up. I knew what needed to be done but was slow to act. Don't just answer these questions act on those answers. Act now, don't speculate to death. In a down economy a lack of action can be a death blow to an organization. Act quickly or you could end up with more than just spilled coffee grounds.