LOOK AHEAD AND ANTICIPATE. Solve problems before they happen by anticipating future issues, planning for contingencies, and addressing them in advance. Work with appropriate lead times. Preventing issues is always better than fixing them.
As our 4th of July celebrations come to a close and we try to get back into our work week, Halo Habit #13 can help us seek clarity in our daily tasks in the hope of avoiding future setbacks. It was one of America’s great Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin who coined the phrase “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
In today’s world, with the constant distractions pushed at us it is hard not to get caught up in our day to day with very little thought towards what is coming. We don’t take the time to address issues at the start in the hope that they will work themselves out eventually. When we ignore a glaring problem we run the risk of being surprised by an unexpected turn of events and then everyone is left scrambling to try to adjust. This is where we can take some tips from the great founders of our Nation.
I think it is safe to say that these individuals did a pretty amazing job at looking ahead and anticipating. Of all founders, Benjamin Franklin is the only one that had a hand in every key document establishing the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great Britain (1783) and the U.S. Constitution (1787). As Editor of the U.S. Constitution, he knew that forming a nation grounded in freedom and opportunity would require careful foresight and planning to stand the test of time. The framework put into place in those establishing documents was not decided on a whim. They knew that they would face challenges ahead and created the checks and balances necessary for the survival of our guiding principles.
At Halo, the magnitude of the things we handle in our work life may not feel as monumental as the formation of a free nation but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a page out of the Founder’s book and put in the time to address problems head-on. We believe that spending a small amount of time and effort early on is always a good investment. Almost every aspect of our lives can benefit from careful thought and preparation and the details always matter. As our Founding Father’s have taught us, it is better to take severe precautions than to suffer severe consequences later. It has been 245 years since the founding of our Nation and although it may not always seem like it on the news, the USA is still going strong. We are still the land of opportunity for so many across the globe and we will continue to grow, learn, and rely on the wise words of our Founders to ensure our future.