How a lesson from the beach can keep business from crumbling.
The Law of Entropy
My kids learned the hard way that you can build an amazing sandcastle at the beach, but you can’t expect it to hold its shape. By the time you come back the next day, it will have reverted back to a loose pile of sand.
This sad reality of a beach holiday is the Second Law of Thermodynamics at work. This Law tells us that entropy (or disorder, disorganization, and chaos) in a system always increases over time. Every element of the system needs maintenance and care – and the more complex the system, the more inclined toward disorder it is. Without upkeep, even the most carefully crafted sandcastle slowly crumbles in the face of wind, rain, seagulls, dogs, and other people’s children.
Entropy works on your business in just the same way. Each element of your business is inclined toward disorder over time. Without regular attention, it won’t hold its original shape any better than the sandcastle. Anything you’ve built must also be maintained, including your vision, strategy, goals, culture, job descriptions, internal processes, team training, scripts, reports, and KPIs…. All of it.
This Week’s Takeaway
It doesn’t take long for entropy to take hold, and disorder grows where you tolerate it. Where has your team veered away from what was once carefully crafted?
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