Corporate Life
Being in Vancouver, you really have to expect a good, solid, three months or so of rain. Not that "wrath-of-god" rain for 40 days and 40 nights stuff, but some serious, never-dry-out, mushroom-growing, chill-you-to-the-bone kind of rain. It happens every year, and despite some short reprieves (like last year during the Olympics), you pretty much have to hunker down and get through it. That's why it always amazes me when every year, I see a number of houses in the neighborhood with the big blue tarp on the roof.
I know, it's not exactly cheap to re-roof - trust me, I've done it. But these are $1.7m+ (update: now closer to $3m) properties, and I find it shocking that folks won't spend the small fraction of their investment on a new roof to protect the integrity of their home. What are they hoping for? That the leak will repair itself? Or that maybe, just maybe, it won't rain this winter? If you end up waiting too long, the water gets in, and it goes everywhere - into the walls, joists, floors etc. Rotting wood compromises the entire structure of the house, and of course, causes mold growth and all sorts of health issues that come along with it. By waiting, these homeowners are simply forced into doing the work when the deluge does inevitably come, and the roofing company is charging a premium for their services.It's like the classic issue I see at companies all the time. Everyone whispers about "that" employee that "is waiting for a retirement package", or "isn't able to adapt to change easily". "he used to be really good at it", or "he just needs a little more direction". But... but what? He's not cutting the mustard anymore. Why is everyone making excuses for him? Because he was great during the heyday? Bobby Orr was a hockey god, but I think he's past his prime now (ok, even if he had good knees). Everyone will experience this. I am just hoping that I figure it out on my own, before I get the tap on the shoulder, "Hey man, I think you're done here". But no, I see it all the time... everyone knows there's a problem, but for some reason, management is waiting for something to fix itself. And then finally, some financial or business crisis occurs, and push comes to shove, and the person in question is finally sent home. Would it have been better if this was actioned on a sunny day perhaps, when there were other resources available, or the organisation wasn't under intense scrutiny to deliver?
And therein lies the message from tonight's scotch lounge blog - fix the problem when you identify it, not when it becomes critical, and ultimately more costly to fix.
