Cutting corners – when a shortcut isn’t short

Have you ever taken a short cut hoping it would get you to your destination quicker and you end up taking longer than you hoped? Perhaps your sat-nav suggests a route and you decide you know a better alternative. Soon you find out your sat-nav’s suggestion was the right one.

I’m sure most of us have experienced that.

Often, we are tempted to cut corners in the hope that it will save us time, money or effort. There are times when the temptation to cut corner pay off and at other times, they open us up to a world of pain.

I was reminded about this lesson recently when I merged some steps in a bid to bake a cake quickly. I had a really dense cake to show for my shortcuts. Although my guests were graciously polite, I was reminded of the downsides of cutting corners.

On our journeys to becoming the best version of ourselves personally or professionally, we will be faced with opportunities to cut corners. So how do we decide on the right corners to cut or the shortcuts that will pay off?

If I had the perfect formula for that, I would have a winning product on my hands. I don’t have the perfect formula but I do have some thoughts on this.

When something seems too good to be true, trust your instinct

Review your options and challenge yourself with the facts. Don’t rely on your emotions. The reality is that we can convince ourselves on anything that we choose and the more we argue for a thing, the more it becomes our version of the truth.

So the next time you are tempted to cut corners, do a simple pros and cons on all your options. Proceed with the short cut only when you know the facts back that option.

Phone a friend

I recall a TV game show that allowed you to phone a friend. If you have smart friends, your chances of winning are better. Although your friends have your back and want you to win, it doesn’t mean they will have the right answers. Some people phone friends who give them the wrong answers or can’t give any.

When faced with a decision to cut corner with potentially bad consequences, phoning the right friend can be the difference between getting it right the first time or rework and between success or failure.

To phone the right friend requires you to know your friend’s knowledge areas, expertise, strength and weaknesses. Who is in your contact list? Do you know and maximise your network? Do you recognise the value they carry that could transform your life, career or Business? If no, then get to know them.

Be ready to pay the price

As they say, there’s no point crying over spilt milk. If you choose to cut some corners or take a shortcut, be ready to accept the consequences – good or bad. Enjoy and celebrate good outcomes. Be ready to see any bad outcomes as lessons learned and move on.

Fail forward and fail fast

No one likes to fail, but there is some truth in the phrase as it acknowledges failure as being normal and to be expected occasionally. It also recognises that some good can come out of it. Failing at something doesn’t make you a failure and making a mistake doesn’t belittle you. Failing is definitely not the end of the road as long as you choose to try again.

So if you cut corners or take a shortcut and fail, don’t despair. Fail forward – let that failure motivate you to seek a better way. Fail fast – learn quickly what you need to learn, recover as fast as you can and get on with the rest of your life.

As you start a new week, think of short cuts that have or haven’t panned out and figure out the lessons from them. Take those lessons into all future decisions, forgetting your past failures, press forward.

Thank you for reading my post. I would love for you to share the blog with others. See you next week.