Teams Work – does yours?

This story lodged in my head when I read it some months ago, and keeps coming back to haunt me.  I’ve no idea who wrote it originally, so thanks and apologies for the paraphrasing.

Two old men, Abe and Ben, are sitting on their rocking chairs on the porch, enjoying the afternoon sun and looking out over the prairie. In between them lies Abe’s dog, Blue.

Every now and then, Blue lets out a long, painful whine and whimpers himself back to sleep. 

Ben says “Abe, what’s the matter with your dog?”

Abe replies “He’s lying on a rusty nail.”

Ben looks horrified: “Why doesn’t he move?”

Abe: “It doesn’t hurt enough yet.”

I could apply this to the majority of organisations I meet. They are struggling on with the status quo, knowing it’s damaging their people and their performance, but not yet motivated to take any action.

Like lying on a rusty nail, those current problems are never going to heal themselves, in fact they are more likely to create more problems, the longer you leave them.

Don’t be like poor old Blue, take control and ask yourself why it’s taken you so long.