Getting the hole story
Rick Weaver
Award-winning Senior Recruiter | National Talent Acquisition Specialist in Executive Search and Management Recruiting
Being a pleasant day, I decided to take a few moments and enjoy lunch with a couple of my workshop participants at a picnic table outside the conference center. During our pleasant conversation I noticed two workers at the edge of the grassy area next to a gentle brook. One was digging a foot-deep hole every few feet. The other was following him a short distance behind filling in the fresh holes.
I approached them to offer a couple of cool bottles of water. Granted, it was more out of curiosity than generosity. They were extremely grateful for the beverage and were quite pleasant in return.
“I am curious,” I began. “Just as diligently as you are digging the holes, he is filling them in. It does not look like you are putting anything in the holes.”
“We are not,” said the gentleman filling in the holes.
“So why are you digging the holes just to have them filled in again?”
“Wow, I can see how silly that must look,” one said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “The reason is very simple.”
“Fred is out sick today,” he continued.
“What does that have to do with it,” I asked.
To find out what Fred was supposed to do, click here.
This may sound like a silly story, but similar situations occur every day in workplaces throughout the business world. People work diligently to accomplish a task without knowing the desired result. They dig holes, fill in the holes, and never see the hedge that should be present when the work is done.
Confident leaders are not afraid to provide a clear vision of success. Each team member should have a complete concept of their value to the team and understand how their role interacts with other team members.
Then, when someone is missing from the team, they understand how to competently fill in the “hole”.
About the author:
Rick Weaver has half a century’s experience in leadership development in retailing. He founded Max Impact Corporation, a leadership and business development consultancy company in 2002. His major accomplishments include working himself from stock clerk to director at a Fortune 50 retail chain and building a $40MM+ construction company in under 5 years. Today he works as an Executive Search Consultant with Patrice & Associates matching management talent with the job culture for which they are uniquely wired.