Yesterday, I was speaking to a client. He referred to the reality that we are asked to do more, faster, with less.
An engine is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Engines breakdown when pushed beyond their capabilities. They come under stress when pushed to run faster. They run poorly when we fuel them with less resources. An engine is capable of operating under more, faster, with less conditions for short periods of time. This can work if there is adequate rest and maintenance time. Otherwise, we wind up with a blown engine. It’s expensive to repair a blown engine. Sometime we can’t fix them, they need to be replaced. Replacing them is even more expensive.
People are like engines. They produce motion. They need to be fueled. They breakdown when pushed beyond their capabilities. They require downtime and maintenance.
People move our businesses. Are you pushing your people too hard for too long? Is it time to turn off the ignition, give an oil change, upgrade the fuel? Push passed the “red line” long enough and you may find your business broken down on the side of the road.
Take care of your people so they can take care of you.
