The waiting place is just a terrible place to be. How often are we passively waiting? Wasting time.
When will Smitty, our 46Q, get to the training event? We’re waiting to hear back from the unit.
When will we be able to get that B-roll we need to finish the video? We’re waiting for the new lens to come in.
When will we ship that story to the post newspaper? We’re waiting for the PAO to approve it.
We don’t wait. We can’t, there’s too much goodness to be done for our organization. Waiting puts someone else in control. It’s passive. If we’re waiting on Fred to get back to us, Fred is in charge. When we take an active approach to things, we’re in charge. We like to be in charge. The truth is, others like it when we’re in charge too. People we work with appreciate our active and consistent approach to getting things done.
We manage our tasks using a task tracker and have productive weekly discussions around the action we are taking … everything is guided by our next steps.
Our conversations look like this:
When will Smitty, our 46Q, get out to the training event? Next step – SGT Jones from the unit will get back to us by this afternoon, if I don’t hear from him I will walk over there and sort it out. We’ll know by close-of-business.
When will we be able to get that B-roll we need to finish the video? Next step – Our lens broke so we ordered a new one and it will be here by Monday. I talked with Gil on the shipping. If it’s not here Monday we will borrow a camera from Joe, talked with him on it already.
When will we ship that story to the post newspaper? Next step – Dave is taking one last look and he said he’ll send it to Tom. I’ll talk with him right after this.
Are you going to be passive, put someone else in charge and wait or will you take control? “Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.”
Photo by Lance Cpl. Dalton Swanbeck
THE WAITING PLACE
by Dr. Seuss
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
or a plane to go or the mail to come,
or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
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Excerpt from Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
