Don't be a balled up curtain!

I was flying last week from Pennsylvania to Texas to meet my future in-laws. With a wedding less than 45 days out, that seemed to be the thing to do. Not a perfect scenario by any means but better than not meeting them at all before the wedding.

It’s the flight that I want to draw from for my blog entry today. Coupled with a short discussion of ineffective systems or policies.

You’ve all seen the curtain they pull between business class (first class has fallen off the earth it seems) and economy or coach. I’m usually sitting behind it in economy. I’ve always found it a bit absurd but on this flight I found it comical. The space it should cover is about 3 feet wide. The curtain itself covered about 12 inches, or 1 foot, of that space. Yet, the attendant pulled it across several times throughout the flight as she went through it- as though it was habit.

I want you to imagine taking a sheet and balling it up to put it away in a box for 10 years. Pull it out upon its 10th year and than hang it up. That is what this 1 foot balled up curtain looked like- yet it was supposed to provide some privacy. Ridiculous.

It prompted me to think about ineffective systems/policies/procedures. We all have them in our lives. They are things we do by habit but have little “effectiveness” at all. They serve little or no purpose. But, we feel good being able to check them off our list as though we’ve done a good chore. Companies are wrought with ineffective systems/policies. They may have served a good purpose at one time but they do so no longer.

I encourage you to evaluate your systems/policies/procedures for the next 30 days. What are you doing that is no longer serving its intended purpose? What are you doing that is ineffective? Revamp it to be purposeful, effective or worth your time in some respect. Encourage your company to do the same.

Don’t be the balled up, 10 year old, curtain with no life and providing no service to anyone. Be better than that.

And, visit your future in-laws well before the wedding count down. These relationships should be a priority for you. You’ll thank me for it.