I was recently speaking with someone about an effort that is getting underway that can have a transformational impact on their business over the longer term. But, there isn’t a long-term owner at this point. The short-term perspective is a couple of discrete actions that can get the ball rolling and ultimately support the longer term. The company will make some progress if it only does the short tem work, but the impact of the work will diminish over time without the longer term. The question: do something or do nothing?
It is funny how many times over the last few months I’ve come across this exact dilemma in one form or another. My advice is always to start. By getting the ball rolling, progress starts. It ultimately allows for further critical thinking that creates better focus, revisions and course corrections. It may not always work, but insights will be gained along the way. In the case above, the work started and internal support started to build, even without a long-term owner. The key was to just get started. How are you starting things without having the 100% solution?