This Is Why Things Take So Long

Have you ever thought about what causes slow traffic on the road? It's change. Think about it. If every vehicle simply maintained the same speed, direction, and position in the lane, traffic would always flow smoothly. The downside, of course, is that without the ability to exit the freeway, stop the car, or change direction, nobody would ever be able to get where they need to go. Change is necessary, and it can be done without snarling traffic—if the driver stays focused and alert and follows the rules of the road. In other words, they can't get distracted!

Have you ever thought about why things take so long to get done at work? It’s change. Think about it. If every person in every company simply maintained the same productive output every day, every task would be completed on time every time. But of course, just like on the road, conditions are not static. Most businesses actively evade inertia. If they are stagnant, they want to grow. If they are growing, they want to grow faster. Something is always changing, and that change can be accomplished without snarling the business—if there are drivers that know the rules and can stay focused. In other words, they can’t get distracted!

On the road, distracted driving is dangerous. In an organization, it is unproductive. On a podcast, it’s a great title, allowing for an infinite number of metaphors and double entendre (see previous paragraphs) and a clever logo that vaguely personifies a car that itself seems unable to focus. After years of idle discussion, a pandemic, and two presidential administrations, Rex Williams and I have finally “shipped it.” The Distracted Driving Podcast is available now at www.distracteddrivingpodcast.com and on a podcasting syndication platform near you.

I’d be lying if I said it’s for everyone, but we think you’ll like it if:

• You enjoy, as I do, the sound of my voice.
• You are a change agent. Continuous improvement is in your DNA and you love to get ideas for new approaches.
• You hate change and want to find out why it is so painful and how to make it better.
• You work in a large organization and constantly feel like you are trying to make a U-turn in a cruise ship.
• You work in a small organization and constantly feel like your speed boat is stuck making left turns and going to capsize on the ocean.
• You like listening to stories, especially if it involves the folly of others.
• You enjoy obscure pop culture references to things like Steve Martin’s Socrates sketch.
• You like useless bits of trivia and enjoy learning things like podcasting actually started in the mid-1960s.
• You drive a lot and need a whimsical yet inspiring distraction to interrupt the lull of the road.
• You appreciate the juxtaposition of the previous bullet with the theme of the first three paragraphs of this post.
• At some point in your life, you have stepped in dog poop.
• At some point in your life, you expect to step in dog poop.
• You have nothing better to do.

We cover a lot of ground on the show; sometimes silly, sometimes philosophical, but always with the intent to introduce the audience to people that have found ways to overcome distraction and persevere in the pursuit of change. Rex and I enjoy celebrating these people while sharing their techniques, attitudes, and accomplishments in order to inspire others. We’ve already dropped a few episodes, so give them a listen—or if you prefer, watch them on YouTube. It’s not very good, but we’re working on changing that.