I Never Finish Anythi

I recently I came across this folder that I have kept for year. No, that is not a typo. It didn’t finish the word “anything.” It caused me to consider if it applied to me and my organization.

In successful organizations, there are starters, finishers and steady plodders. Starters are those individuals who are very comfortable with change, looking for the next innovation, and willing to take a risk. Starters would probably own that folder I saw. They have a tendency to be the person in our shop that is characterized by not finishing things. They may even say, “close enough, let’s move on.”

Finishers, however, are those individuals who do not quit until everything on the current project is done. They stay behind to make sure everything on the list of things to do is complete and there is not one thing out of place. They are not always comfortable with change and are very satisfied when things are running smoothly. They may be the person in your office that is characterized by never starting a project on time. You may have heard them say, “I will get to it when I am done.”

Steady plodders, they are a combo of the starters and finishers. They start a project and keep working and keep working and keep working until it is completely finished. They easily transition to the next project and work on it until the end. They don’t have an energy burst at the beginning like the Starters or one at the end like the Finishers. They are your co-workers who never get excited about anything, yet never get worried or frustrated by the mundane. They are the one at the last staff meeting that said, “let’s keep on going, we will get there.” 

Organizations need all three types of people: starters, finishers and steady plodders. Each individual has an important role to play in an organization. The key is for leadership to determine what the best mix is for your organization. Take a step back today and consider what mix your organization needs. What do you see?