We love it when fun quotes can make astute business observations.  Like this one:

“Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?”

It’s funny because it’s true.  Everyone presses harder on the remote when the batteries start to weaken.  What this fun question can be a reminder of, is that similarly in business, when leaders know the tools of the business are broken or working inefficiently, the tendency is to press harder and work more and expect more from their team.  So what is the business parallel to pausing and replacing the remote control batteries?

The business parallel to battery replacement, is the counter-intuitive approach of pausing from the heavy workload to invest in improving the tools and the systems that support the tools to reach the objective.  Much like a remote control that eventually will stop changing channels when the batteries die, a business can limp along with weak systems until the systems fail.

If your business is running on weakening batteries, and you know you have been pressing harder to keep the business operating, take the weekend to reflect.  Review some of our other blog articles on business strategy and leadership. Consider seeking outside support to ‘replace your batteries’. Don’t just keep on pressing harder.