Don’t mow the weeds

April 29, 2009

This spring, it’s becoming obvious that we haven’t been taking care of our lawn. The weeds have taken over and the grass seems to be hiding.

The instinct is to mow. Just cut the weeds so we don’t see them any more. But if we do that, not only will the weeds not be gone, but they will multiply. It’s the easy fix.

Instead, we have to spray the weeds, and wait patiently for them to shrivel up and turn brown. Then, we can mow and hope that the grass grows up in its place. The lawn looks worse in the interim, but it’s the best way to nurture the lawn in the long run. The only other alternative is to dig everything up and start over again.

In organizations, it’s tempting to find the easy fix. It gives the illusion that the problem has been solved quickly and you can move on to the next challenge. However, lasting change requires time and patience. The real lasting solution may take some waiting and even getting worse before you see results.