Lessons from Legos

By: Kristen Haldeman | March 22, 2019

If you have ever experienced the joy of gifting a Lego set to a 12 year old child, you know that seconds before the hundreds of  pieces are scattered on the floor like a minefield, they are organized in little bags based on size, shape, and color. These bags denote the exact pieces that are needed for the project. Perhaps included are a few extra in case one, or five, goes missing. Regardless of how many extra pieces there are, there will always be enough.

And, how thankful the parents are to the Lego company for not skimping on the number of Legos! Can you imagine coming to the end of a 4 foot roller coaster detailed with hills, loops, and twists and missing the carts for the miniature people! The horror of the child and the dread of the parent to look at the incomplete project for weeks until someone has the courage to deconstruct the sad fixture of failure.

Having a plan, being well prepared, is essential for any successful business venture. A plan bridges the initial passion behind why a business does what it does and what exactly it does. For example, at McCarley International we believe that people have potential and we aim to help them tap into that potential. How we do that is through professional, leadership business coaching by exploring the unique features that distinguishes one particular organization from another.

It’s why we emphasis that “A dream plus a plan becomes a goal.”

It would be foolish for a business owner to commit to a contract without first evaluating if the business was capable of upholding its own end. Planning what one is able to accomplish prevents failure and embarrassment and provides opportunities to making new connections.

On the contrary, risk-taking centralizes the life of an organization. It could be argued that a company will not grow if risks are not taken. At a closer look, risk-taking does not mean reckless wagers on every opening that arises. Instead, risk-taking is calculated and carefully planned. The key to harmonizing risk-taking and planning is to calculate and develop a step-by-step process that outlines a successful path.

In the Simon Sinek Golden Circle, HOW is the link between the WHY and WHAT of a person or organization. The “how” allows for the “what” to happen and gives tangibility to the “why.” Developing a plan makes success attainable.

Don’t be the person who builds a Lego roller coaster without first evaluating if all the colored pieces are present. Be aware of resources and calculate opportunities.