Turning Hidden Problems into Visible Solutions: Avoiding Costly Mistakes

In this episode of the Lighthouse Leadership Podcast, Evan Hickok shares a cautionary tale from early in his career, highlighting how a seemingly insignificant $1 oversight escalated into a costly $90,000 issue. Evan unpacks critical lessons on the importance of effective issue tracking, clear alignment within teams, and the shift from individual expertise to impactful leadership.

Actionable Key Takeaways:

1. Make Issues Visible: Implement a robust, visual tracking system to ensure problems are documented, prioritized, and resolved.
2. Ensure Alignment: Clearly communicate the system’s purpose and the role of each subsystem to ensure team alignment.
3. Prioritize Leadership Over Technical Expertise: Foster an environment that surfaces problems rather than attempting to solve them individually.
4. Document Everything: Establish clear documentation processes to avoid costly oversight and repeated issues.
5. Practice Relentless Follow-Up: Consistently verify that documented processes are executed to prevent unresolved problems.

TL;DR:
Hidden issues, even small ones, can escalate into costly disasters. Effective leadership focuses on creating transparent systems to identify, document, and resolve these issues rather than relying solely on personal expertise.

Resources Mentioned:

• David Allen's "Getting Things Done"
• Tools: JIRA, Monday, Notion, Motion

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