Plug the Holes Before Filling the Bucket

It’s ironic how often we overlook the most obvious truths. “Plug the holes before filling the bucket” is a perfect example. It underscores the importance of addressing underlying issues or inefficiencies before striving for improvement. If you ignore this simple lesson, your efforts will fail. And yet, even though this truism is as clear as day, we pretend as if it doesn’t exist.

How often do you find yourself working harder instead of smarter? That’s like trying to fill a leaky bucket as quickly as you can. Despite considerable effort, it won’t amount to very much. Similarly, some people think speed is everything, so they dash out of the starting gate, no matter what the cost. But if you’re running in the wrong direction, speed doesn’t matter.

Watertight Wisdom — Use Foresight Before Hindsight

Common mistakes are made every day. Avoiding these pitfalls requires a moment of thoughtful reflection. Do any of these issues sound familiar?

Look before you leak!

Instead of creating new rules and regulations, eliminate outdated ones.
Rather than holding weekly meetings, determine if they’re necessary.
Instead of chasing new customers, keep your existing ones happy.
Rather than hiring new people, make sure your existing employees are fully utilized.
Instead of paying bills arbitrarily, focus on those with the highest interest rates first.
Rather than putting in more time, invest your time more efficiently.
Instead of continuously training new hires, reduce excessive turnover.
Rather than putting Band-Aids on problems, address the root cause.
Instead of doing things over, do them right the first time.
Rather than requesting burdensome reports, ensure you plan to review them.
Instead of checking items off your to-do list, focus on your priorities.
Rather than hitting the ground running, apply lessons learned from last time.
Instead of searching for elaborate solutions, focus on simple, effective ones.
Rather than moving ahead quickly, resolve bottlenecks and inefficiencies first.
Instead of pursuing new business, ensure you can meet the additional demand.
Rather than raising taxes, cut wasteful spending.
Instead of cutting costs across the board, cut less-promising initiatives.
Rather than spending all your time planning, act on the plans.
Instead of starting something new, finish what you started.
Rather than filling crowded jails, raise kids with good moral values. As Frederick Douglass, the statesman, said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

A Leakproof Strategy

We’re so conditioned to move quickly, that we rarely consider the consequences. We act before thinking, prioritize speed over purpose, and confuse motion with meaningful progress.

That strategy has more holes than Swiss cheese.

The implication of this approach is huge. And yet, we rarely take the time to stop, think, reflect, and learn from our experiences so that we can improve our results in the future.

Before you act…think. Have you considered multiple options or just the first one that came to mind? Are you choosing the best solution or the easiest one? Are you acting out of habit because you have “always done it this way”? Most importantly, is there a better way?

Things won’t always turn out perfectly. But at least you know that you’re challenging conventional wisdom, thinking out of the box, examining the issue from every angle, and determining the optimum solution. In short, plug the holes before you pour in more effort.

Check out Frank’s new book, BECOME: Unleash the Power of Moral Character and Be Proud of the Life You Choose