Mike Clark's Business Bites: Know the cost of inaction

Make some time today to write out areas you know you should deal with. Next to each of these make a note of the cost of inaction. Photo / Unsplash

Is there anything at work you know you are avoiding doing? Do you have staff you know you need to talk to?

The way we use time has long fascinated me. Time is the only resource every mortal human being is born equal with. It is what we do with what we have that will determine our life path. It took me a while to act on this knowledge.

I had a tendency to choose the easy path. I was born and raised in Zimbabwe. I went to Falcon College - a military-style boarding school for young men. In fourth form (Year 11 in New Zealand) we were allowed to use the gym equipment. I distinctly remember my peers starting with massive enthusiasm and laughing at them struggling to bench press light weights. They continued unperturbed by my friendly ribbing.

Months later their commitment began to show as they bulked out. As much as I would have liked to have their physique I was not prepared to make the commitment.

Another change that captivated me was in my friend Robbie Kaipers. He started reading this thick book with tiny print. His mindset and approach to life changed. I knew that book had changed his life but the thought of putting that much time and effort in just seemed too hard.

I come across this mindset in business – both in leaders and their teams. They know something is likely to work but just don't want to do the hard work required to get there. Tony Robbins explained that until the pain of staying the same becomes more than the pain of change, people will not change.

I have discovered people have a high pain tolerance! Oftentimes the pain has been there for so long it becomes a familiar companion. A team member who is consistently operating below par, another team member with a negative attitude slowly poisoning the team and creating a blame culture, team members consistently running late, others not following process.

Sometimes the pain is the process and/or system or hardware or machinery that is just not operating as well as it should. We put up with it. It drains time and energy. We know we should address it but it just feels too hard.

The reality is that life is hard. We have to choose our hard.

Looking on the personal level - it is hard consistently making time for exercise. It is also hard having a stroke or a heart attack. It is hard deliberately making time and investing in important relationships (particularly when we are also trying to pursue a career) but it is also hard going through a divorce. It is hard putting money aside and saving when you are young and it is hard renting your whole life and living off NZ Super when you retire. You get to choose your hard.

The same applies in business. It is hard having courageous conversations with underperforming staff and it is hard when your entire team drops their work ethic and standard to the lowest performing team member.

It is hard picking up the phone, making sales calls, doing sales visits, writing quotes and following them up. It is also hard not having enough sales to pay your bills. It is hard setting your culture and allowing those who do not align with your vision and values to find somewhere else to work and it is hard working in a toxic work environment.
We get to choose our hard.

Short-term pain and deciding to do what we know is right is, very often, preferable to the alternative of inaction.

You do not have to wait until your current levels of discomfort and pain are screaming at you.

Make some time today to write out areas you know you should deal with. Next to each of these make a note of the cost of inaction. If you do nothing, where will you be in a year's time? Feel that future pain and take action today that your future self will thank you for – it's your time!

• Mike Clark is director and lead trainer and facilitator at Think Right business training company.