Moving past in decision

Stuck? Or, is it all in your perspective?

(Originally Posted on LinkedIn, August 4, 2015)

The other day I was reminded of one of my favorite short video clips. It features a man and women who get stuck on an escalator.  If you haven’t ever seen this clip – you surely just read this last line and thought, Nicole, you mean elevator. Nope. They are stuck on an escalator. That is why it is such as great clip. It is hard to imagine how a stopped escalator traps two people. And, more importantly how they fail to recognize that an escalator is little more than a staircase to simply walk up or down and then go about their respective days.

I can’t help but wonder, as business owners and leaders – where are the stuck escalators in our own companies? When we have sales plateaus, stalled product lines, can’t find the right talent for a key position … what part of mindset is contributing to the challenges we are facing at that moment?

Watching the video again, I am reminded of the expression, “not able to see the forest for the trees.” Search up stuck on an escalator and watch it, you will chuckle.  Then, stop and be completely honest with yourself … have you ever allowed yourself to get stuck on your own version of an escalator? How long did you let that go on for – and at what cost to the business? Can you say, looking back, that you learned anything from that experience? More importantly, what will you do the next time a moving staircase comes grinding to a halt to ensure you are prepared to quickly walk up or down, and get your business back on track?