Andy Lykens

Innovating and operating through growth

vision

The Roots and Growth of Decisions

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They’re cutting down a tree on the corner of my block. A big tree. There are 3 big trucks and 6 guys with chainsaws. The tree is outnumbered, but it still seems like it’s winning.

This one’s major offense is that its roots have completely upended the sidewalk. It’s dangerous. I know because I’ve tripped on it more than once.

Cutting this tree down has done nothing to fix the sidewalk. And putting a sidewalk next to this kind of tree in the first place is a short-sighted idea – but whoever made that decision is at least retired and maybe dead.

So if the decisions people make have consequences, and if they’re hard to undo, and if there’s even a remote possibility that 6 men with chainsaws will have to undo it – maybe it makes sense to think more about the roots and growth of our decisions in the first place.

Pull & Push

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A pull is different than a push.

A push is a jolt. A quick exertion of force causing momentum. It’s a one-off effort. A boost. It is abrupt and fleeting. It’s a jump across a chasm.

A pull draws you near gradually. It’s a tether to the past, or a thread leading to the future. A pull is enduring. A pull feels both distant and strong. It is a siren’s song.

Push or pull both provide momentum and direction.

Which one do you need?

Balance

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It’s surprising how often people look at only costs or revenue and make a decision. That’s a little like sitting on a teeter-totter by yourself and then proclaiming that it isn’t fun. Similarly, you can set out to provide the best handwoven tablecloths, but if you can’t make money, it won’t last long.

There are many pieces of the value puzzle beyond cost and revenue. Similarly it’s hard to measure whether you make the best cheeseburger in town without an income statement.

The trick is to set a vision, and do both.

Ask “how much does it cost?” when you have a meaningful goal in mind. When you crack the code to that cheeseburger, make sure your financial projections are reasonable.

The numbers are useful, and so is your intuition, just make sure you’re not relying too much on one or the other.