Let us Blame Nike, Or may be Not!

This week I am sharing a simple yet powerful lesson I learned from a reading a post from Mr Bruhad Buch on LinkedIn. I am not connected with him, but read this article few years back as one of my connections liked it. It has a beautiful message wrapped in a simple story. It is worth reading the original article right here.

Do not always blame others

In this article Bruhad writes about his experience about shoe laces and how they kept coming off. He initially thought of blaming Nike for making these new shiny shoe laces but then decided to do some research on google.

He realized that there are many ways to tie shoe laces and that he has been using a poor knot or a weak knot. By keeping an open mind and having a willingness to learn and adapt, he was able to gain from this experience. He has been kind enough to share his learnings for all others.

Following is the verbatim of the lesson. I hope you enjoy reading it.

“First, just because you have been doing something for years it does not mean you have been doing it right. Maybe there is a better way. You just need to be willing to learn.

Second, when things go wrong, the temptation to blame others can be strong. Laces coming off? It must be Nike’s fault! It takes courage to introspect and say maybe, just maybe, the fault lies within. Own the problem, and you’ll empower yourself to find a solution.

Third, change is hard. Doing things differently is harder than it seems. In business and in life, we all get used to a process, a pattern of work, habits get formed and that’s hard to change. Acknowledge that. Change takes effort. And time and commitment too.

And finally, it’s useful to remember that small changes can make a big impact. A simple thing like getting the lace from above the loop – or below it – can make a huge difference. ”

Stay tuned for more next week.