Provide the But

I think this is going to become one of our new phrases in leadership discussions.

“Provide the but”

We were in a leadership discussion this week talking about how typically no given person will like 100% of everything we do, and there will be things that are inconvenient, but what we have to learn to do is to provide the but. This really is what Parkcrest has done throughout the years.

The parking is terrible, but…

The buildings are old, but…

I don’t like Mike’s haircut, but…

Providing the but is about giving people reason enough to be a part of what we’re doing even when there’s something that we might not totally agree on or something a bit inconvenient. As long as we provide the but, that thing becomes inconsequential.

And really, this is what good companies do, isn’t it? Think about some of the conversations you’ve had at times…

Apple computers are more expensive, but…

It’ll take longer to get it from Amazon than from the store down the street, but…

That restaurant is always so crowded, but…

A part of leading an organization well is learning to provide the but. And plus, how much fun is it going to be to use that phrase in more and more leadership conversations.