FC Member Blog

Nonsense At Work

BY James McIntosh | 04-07-2010 | 7:18 AM

This blog is written by a member of our blogging community and expresses that member's views alone.

Pay attention to the expected:

(Radio piece begins with paper ripping sound.)

Were you surprised by that noise? If so, you’re probably paying attention, because something unexpected has happened. That’s natural. We pay more attention when something unexpected happens.

Dealing with the unexpected is said to be the most difficult aspect of business life. My experience has taught me the opposite. The most difficult thing to manage is the expected. Let’s face it. Business is boring. It’s the same nonsense over and over, day after day.

It’s like driving the same car on the same road to the same destination at the same time every day. You must do it. And if you take your eye off what you’re doing, bad things can happen.

The most successful managers I have worked with were those who had the discipline to focus on the same detail, over and over, day after day.

By the way, that sound was of paper being ripped and scrunched up - that’s the way to deal with nonsense.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of Pay attention to the expected (10 most recent radio files)