Obvious mistakes that we make

If only these mistakes were as painfully obvious before we do them:

“Our marketing needs to stand out from the crowd! Let’s see what our leading competitors are doing.”

This doesn’t work, of course. Copying what’s out there feels like a safe path to progress, but when the goal is to stand out, blending in is the last thing you need!

“We need a product design that’s a cut above the rest! Let’s look at the most popular design trends.”

This doesn’t work, of course. If we want to lead the pack, we don’t do so by following from behind.

“We need a plan to reach our goals! Let’s try everything we can to reach them.”

This doesn’t work, of course. Reaching a goal is quantifiable, and “everything” is too many things. Focusing on, tracking, and optimising specific actions designed to attain the goals is a better path than just “trying everything.”

Blending doesn’t stand out. Following isn’t the same thing as leading. Freneticism doesn’t produce methodical progress.

These things are obvious in hindsight.

What things are you doing in your work right now that, in hindsight, will seem like obvious errors? What if you looked for them now rather than waiting?