Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I like to process map an organization to see how things pass through; efficiencies, inefficiencies and downright leaky spots. If it were pipe and the liquid in the pipe were your product or service, you’d want as much of the end product to get through the pipes as possible, wouldn’t you?
I recently installed new toilets in our condo. Talked about it for months and finally found a style we could agree on, tore out the old ones and installed the new ones. I’ve had some practice doing this in other residences and learned most of the lessons that go along with the install, but apparently not all … and some not well enough.
I have respect for plumbers because if you don’t do the job well, it shows immediately. [Leaky]. New materials make it simpler and typically less hassle but that’s not always possible. This install was pretty straightforward but I didn’t account for new gaskets and grommets leaking, imperfect manufacturing (maybe why they were on sale?), stains on new, highly visible equipment or even the hellacious disposal fee.
Today, we still don’t have leak-free toilets. I learned more about plumbing and a thing or two more about life; the true value of my time, peace of mind and a reminder of the joys of a job well done mixed with the reality that things in this world rarely go without incident.
Think about your organization, your household or other places where your leadership could…notice, repair and prevent future leaks? Do you get irritated when you encounter drips and how do you communicate, facilitate and remediate? Do the people you enlist to reduce and remove the drips feel part of the solution so you can count on them resolving future drips? Or did you create a new dependency where they alert you to the drip but don’t repair without your permission and involvement?

A tight ship doesn’t leak and is common reference to something that runs efficiently. If leaks persist, they typically get worse and cause collateral damage.
Find your leaks. Train some plumbers.
Have a blessed weekend!