Sarah had our pest control agent to the house the other day. Our house passed its monthly checkup, although there had been a small problem with flies in the boys’ shared bathroom back in September and October. Thanks to cold Chicago temperatures, the problem is resolved for now, but we are still curious how 2-3 flies were randomly showing up in their bathroom.
During the previous visit, the agent feverishly checked the outside of the home to see if there were any way that flies were getting in. She was puzzled because she did not find any. In between visits, however, she had a revelation: What if the boys were leaving urine on the toilet seat, or worse, leaving small amounts on the floor when they “missed?”
When Sarah told me this, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this WAS happening because that is what fathers do — especially ones tired from twelve-hour days; and also, because I know that Ben (6) has the accuracy of my favorite football team’s quarterback when it comes to this endeavor.
Kidding aside, I also know something about manufacturing: Pee attracts flies.
Leaders, we cannot be surprised when flies have gathered around the messes in our organization. In fact, when we notice that messes exist, the best thing we can do is mop them up. You don’t need a new policy, high paid consultant, or even new procedure to do this.
You just have to do it.
The pest visit led to our son, Ben (6), getting on his hands and knees to ensure that he had not missed anything in the bathroom. Meanwhile, Will (8) had his feet up watching Monday Night Football…
I guess that is another “management blog” for another time…
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