This past weekend I had a dinner party, and despite my limited cooking skills, I decided to make a sophisticated chicken dish that looked like it wouldn’t be too hard but would be welcomed by many “oohs and aahs”. I gathered the ingredients, carefully assembled the dish in two pans, cranked up the oven and set the timer for one hour.
Fast Forward 60 Minutes…
I jauntily put down my wine to take off my tin-foil tents and let the dish brown just perfectly. Instead of “ooh or aah” I said a choice word a little too loudly and called my husband to help me. Turns out that a tray that I thought was oven safe had melted all over the top rack. Exasperated, I decided to salvage the remaining tray of food.
15 Minutes Later…
This time when I opened the oven I realized I had turned it off when I saw the first melted tray. My beautiful meal of roasted chicken looked disgusting.
Five Minutes After That…
I called for pizza.
Although I’ve never cooked up gourmet meals for my teams, I have cooked up some awesome new ways to analyze and deliver our work ~ and they didn’t always work out as planned. I couldn’t leave my team or my customer hanging so I ordered the pizza instead.
It comes down to this:
It’s better to deliver something that works and solves the problem at hand than deliver something that doesn’t work no matter how elegant it would be “if only” there was more time, money or resources to get it right.
It can be scary to take a stand for a new idea or approach and then admit that it’s just not going to work… or at least not on the projected timeline. Sometimes, ordering the metaphorical pizza isn’t a cop-out; it’s an act of courage and leadership.
Leaders: Do You Know When It’s Time to Order the Pizza?
Here are a few to consider:
1. You realize that you’re hitting your head against the wall but you’d rather look smart than have anyone think you’re a quitter. Leadership is not looking smart; it’s doing the right things.
2. Deadlines have come and gone but you don’t want to stop tinkering because you’ve hinted to everyone about the new “cool toy” you’re about to deliver. Cool toys ultimately get thrown in the closet in a pile. Team motivation and employee engagement are not worth throwing away because you want to be adored.
3. You’ve agreed on the solution with the customer but just want to wow them with something even better. Nothing wows a customer more than great communication and transparency while solving their problem on time and on budget.
4. People have seen your presentation on the new project you’ve been working on 75 times, they’re starting to ask what else you have up your sleeve. Eventually people don’t want to hear about new tricks, they want to see value through results.
5. You have the perfect solution but it seems so simple, surely the customer will feel like they’ve been ripped off if you don’t do something unexpected. I promise you, they won’t feel ripped off. They’ll be happy that they can trust you because you do what you say you’re going to do.
It’s hard to know when to keep pushing down the path instead of taking the turn off to the nearest pizza place. Remember, sometimes it’s better to have dinner to serve than a bunch of half-baked chicken.
Let’s brainstorm together. When are some other ah-ha moments for leaders that identify when it’s time to order the pizza and keep moving forward?
Love it, Alli! It is time to order pizza when you have way more to do than you have time for. It is time to focus on what matters and “order pizza” for the rest.
It is time to order pizza when you feel alone in the work to be done. It is time to order pizza and gather people in to join in. Nothing attracts others like pizza and good people!
Fantastic, Jon! When we’re in a state of overwhelm and really need to focus on what’s most important is he perfect time to call for a pizza! I do that often in life too…
Also, really appreciate the reminder that a pizza can also bring connection. Connection (and ultimately collaboration) often starts when our defenses are down and we’re not worried about our image, but instead sharing a pizza.
Alli,
As always I love the way you incorporate real life into an awesome leadership lesson! #1 especially hits home. I was at a Performance Management / Leadership seminar that focused on the ‘Leadership Test;’ Am I doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason and in the right way? What a simple and effective tool to keep us focused on not just trying to look smart but to do the right thing! Talk with you soon!
Chris – Those are four important questions / perspectives that deserve pause both at work and in our lives: Right thing, right time, right reason, right way. If any one is out of whack, the others will falter too. Sounds like a worthwhile seminar!
You crack me up. Good to know you can order a pizza in Alice Springs. But more importantly, the message: sustenance over impressive. Deliver the goods. Learn to let go of high-minded plans and do your job effectively. Another great one, Alli!
Thanks, Blair! Yes, pizza IS here ~ thank goodness! Giving up and getting the pizza doesn’t mean I can’t try to make it again next week… with a few tweaks. Same goes for all of those leaders out there…
Alli what a great powerful read, I know of a few times I likely should have ordered Pizza but didn’t.
Thanks, Mike! Me too… Next time! There always is a next time 🙂
Sometimes what we thought was a good idea at first ends up being a not-so-good-idea after all. Yet, we’ve spent so much time, energy, and effort into the idea that we are reluctant to let it go. It’s not working, but we are slow to admit it. We keep “hoping” it will work, “hoping” it will turn out ok.
I found a distressed cat once whose tail was almost cut off. It was barely hanging on by a little piece of skin. It was prone to getting infected and was certainly annoying the cat. She couldn’t think of anything else but that old appendage still hanging on. It was beyond saving.
You know what I did? (I won’t describe it any further)
Sometimes we need to just cut and run…..or, order pizza.
Now that’s a story!
You really said it so well, Dan: We keep “hoping” it will work, “hoping” it will turn out ok. That’s why gamblers lose their life fortune. We can let go AND be better for it.
Thanks so much for your addition to the conversation.
“Eventually people don’t want to hear about new tricks, they want to see value through results.” Exactly. Lasting business relationships are built on solving problems. The solutions don’t have to be ideal. In fact, they rarely are.
Steve – You’re so right. People don’t buy services because they feel like it. People and organizations have problems and when they engage us, they want their problems to be solved, elegant isn’t always the #1 priority. There is time for improvement and sophisticated solutions once we ensure that we’re making a difference now too.
Love it Alli, what a great story and learning. Not in leadership but in own biz, learned the hard way whistle and bells never ever replace results. Ever. Thanks for the post. Dawn
Dawn – That’s exactly it! We always need to remember to deliver the results. Appreciate your comment – especially coming from your personal experience. Many thanks!
Terrific Alli! Knowing when to order pizza is a great way to acknowledge that it is time to switch gears. What a fun way to share “regrouping”! I do this Alli when I am training a group of adults in an organization and the program needs to be tweaked to meet their needs. I might wish I could continue with the program I designed, but it would mean that it would be less valuable to the participants. Thanks for sharing such a great story!
Terri – Yes! When switching gears is the perfect time. I’ve been there and know what you mean. Sometimes the in the moment tweaks take things where I had not initially planned but are where they are needed to go – to deliver the most value. Always appreciate your insights and incredible experience.
Awesome story and lesson Alli! Great question, too.
It’s time to order the pizza when you realize you’ve lost sight of what really matters and recognize it’s time to get back to basics.
Susan – Back to basics is a perfect time. There is nothing to be ashamed of going back to tried and true. It gives us bandwidth to focus in on the “fancy stuff” that matters. Thanks so much for your addition!
Alli,
Great lesson wonderfully told!
I’ll have to tell you about the aluminum ice when we chat…it’s all about giving the customer a good experience.
Thank you for finding the truth in everyday life,
Scott
Thanks so much, Scott! The customer experience really does matter! And you’ve totally piqued my interest around aluminum ice…
Having a plan and yet Being flexible is key and you have brought this point out beautifully with your story. Letting go and changing gears is so important in the overall achievement of the goal or vision
I loved your post Alli.
Exactly – a willingness to both be agile and adapt to circumstances are key. The letting go after the shift is definitely a sticking point for so many people – often myself included. All we can do is work on it.
Appreciate your thoughtful comment! Adds so much.
Great analogy, Alli! I think that it’s time to order pizza also when you know that’s what your team or clients want. It isn’t fancy, but, hey, what could do a better job than giving someone something they really want? This really applies to leadership in work and in life. Thank you, Alli!
That’s the bottom line, right? Sometimes, even if we want to serve up some foie gras on toast points, the client or the team wants pizza! Something to be said for giving someone what they ask for… especially if it’s just what they need and makes them happy too. Thanks so much, Alice!!