This is about a challenge many leaders in technical organizations have encountered. As you read this, I hope it will bring a smile to your face (and perhaps you may see a bit of yourself). The theme here is, “I can do this myself.”
A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to print a new brochure for my services. It was newly designed and eight pages in full color up to the edges. I was thrilled to get it printed, folded, stapled and – most importantly – sent to one prospective client.
Excited to send this to the client, I looked into different printing companies and their prices. With all the options, the cost would have been between $5 and $10 per brochure. Thinking forward, I envisioned possibly handing my brochures to hundreds of prospective clients and decided it would be too expensive – and that I could do it better and cheaper myself.
Still full of energy, I dusted off my old wide-format printer that could print to the edges. I ordered some high-quality 11 × 17 paper to print on. At only $50 for a ream (i.e., 10 cents per page), it seemed well worth waiting three days for the paper to arrive. After I printed a few sample pages, I discovered that the ink cartridges had dried out over time. No problem, I thought – just order a new set of cartridges: $70 plus another two days of waiting, and I would finally be ready to print that awesome brochure.
As it turned out, doing full color up to the edge was a problem. The paper edge became too wet with ink, causing the paper to warp, and the print head cut into the paper. After a few hours of adjusting the print settings (and printing many, many misprints), I got it to work. I had the first page printed! Yeah! It only took me about a hundred pages to create the first single-sided printout.
Something told me to check the remaining ink levels. Sure enough, the printer utility showed that there was less than half left in the ink cartridges.
Fast-forward through my attempts to print the other pages: all my work of doing this myself – and trying to save a bit – resulted in expenses of about $100 and wasted a lot of time – I didn’t even manage to complete a single brochure. (At least I remembered why I put the printer in the attic in the first place). All because I thought I could do it better on my own.
What hurts most is that I should have known better. I could have told you about numerous experiences of working with high-tech organizations: highly skilled experts that go down the rabbit hole, move from solving one problem to the next, get lost in the weeds, and forget the initial issue that needed to be addressed. For me, the big picture was to get one brochure to one person.
The lesson: look for collaborations and partnerships. Focus on what you do well, let go of the rest, and work with others.
Make it Real
When the thought crosses your mind: “I can do this myself” – don’t! Look for more ways to work with others. It will open up new relationships and opportunities and allows you to focus on what you do best.
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