Tag: new processes

Blog #650- Central Air, Systems, and Being a Leader/Technician (8-6-25)

This is going to be the final entry in the series about replacing my air conditioning.  Last week we explored how leaders can create a cooler and more comfortable environment.  This week I want to dive deeper into this idea by exploring central air conditioning as an integrated system and being a leader/technician.

When my air conditioning was broken, my thermostat still worked.  We could set it to the desired temperature.  However, some parts of the integrated system didn’t work.  It was pushing air around, but unable to cool the air.  As a result, even if we had the temperature set where we wanted it to be, the system was unable to deliver those results.  The technician knew the thermostat was fine, and also knew the only way to achieve the desired result would be to upgrade the parts and system. 

What does this have to do with work?  A thermostat is a lot like a vision.  The thermostat/vision can be set clearly and correctly.  However, the vision doesn’t matter if we haven’t set up the pieces and processes in a way that enables us to achieve that vision.  Have you ever encountered a situation where a vision couldn’t be achieved in the current system?  Maybe, you were asked to move faster, but our internal processes were not set up to enable speed and there were not the right tools to be more efficient.  Maybe you were asked to be bold and take on more risks, but the processes and governance around you didn’t empower you to make decisions.  The system must be designed to support the vision.

With this in mind, great leaders aren’t just people who set the thermostat.  Great leaders aren’t just people who create successful environments with words.  Great leaders are the technicians who ensure the other pieces and processes will lead to achieving the vision.  Great leaders are the ones who say, “We want to move faster, well X is getting in the way.  X either needs to be removed or replaced by something that gives us speed.  Let’s take Y process and totally reimagine it to fit our needs vs the way we’ve always done things.” 

The challenge: Will you be a leader who just sets the thermostat (vision) or will you be the leader/technician who builds a system that leads to success?

Bonus:  This is blog #650.  Thanks so much for reading and encouraging me throughout the years to keep writing.  I appreciate you all being part of this journey!  If you have any favorite blogs or topics, I’d love to hear about them.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Patching Holes vs Installing a New System (7-23-25)

Last week was about our broken air conditioning and stepping away from the heat.  This week is about deciding between patching holes vs installing a new system.

Our house had been hot for days by the time the air conditioning company could come take a look at it.  When they showed up, we assumed that the problem would be fixed.  However, it wasn’t that straight forward, because some parts were broken.  Our unit was old, and we had a choice.  We could pay a decent amount of money to replace the parts, knowing that it’s an old system that will likely go out again, and that the system is no longer efficient.  Or, we could make a larger investment and replace the system with something that is more efficient and better.  We chose to invest in the new system, because long-term it would be better.

Let’s make some connections.  Have you ever seen this type of situation play out at work?  Maybe, you worked with equipment or technology that was aging, and you had to choose from patching it up or replacing the system.  Maybe, the way you did marketing no longer matched the environment, and you had to choose between continuing to do what you’ve done in the past or replacing the system with new processes and ways of working.  In both of these situations it likely would be easier to just keep on the path you were on.  It likely would be more comfortable.  It would likely be less expensive in the moment.  However, would it be the right thing to do?  It all depends.  As the world continues to evolve and as we grow, we will continually need to make a choice between patching up holes vs installing a new system.

The challenge: When will you patch things up so they can get by and when will you install a new system?

Bonus- This thinking can apply to our personal lives too.  If you’re anything like me, you’ve had moments where you realized your ways of thinking and viewing the world no longer worked as well as they once did as the world changed and as you started to grow.  You were then faced with a choice.  You could keep force fitting those old ways of thinking or you could invest in upgrading your whole belief system.  Evolving your belief system is hard work and requires a lot of time, but usually it’s more than worth it.  I can tell you that I have more love, compassion, and patience now than I ever had before, but it took me some work to get there.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry