Quit Waiting for Someone to Show Up

I grew up in a home where I was “Somebody, ” and my brother was “Anybody.” When Mom shouted, “Will Somebody please take out the garbage,” it was a statement, not a question, and I jumped to attention. If the question was, “Did Anybody feed the rabbit?” my brother was on the hook.

Of course, the somebody/anybody labels were an inside family joke, but unlike in most organizational settings, there was always accountability for action. No one would sit around actually wondering whether Somebody was going to step up to solving the problem or whether Anybody cared enough to fix the issue. Garbage was taken out, the rabbit lived a long, well-fed life, toys were picked up, and chores never lingered. Nothing was swept under the carpet until the mythical “Someone” decided to show up.

A few years ago, I wrote a short post describing the phenomenon of a group of office workers sipping coffee and observing the fact that the garbage can in the corner was smoldering. They talked about it, debated the implications of it and genuinely expressed hope that Someone would take care of it. And then they went back to their desks.

Sadly, I see some form of the garbage can on fire phenomenon present in many organizational settings. People see the problems. They articulate them beautifully, and they describe the costs of not solving the problem in precise terms. They also have ample ideas for resolving the problems. However, like my not so mythical group discussing the garbage can on fire, they shrug their shoulders and go back to work, leaving the issue for Someone to handle when the timing is right.

I have little doubt the leadership culture in organizations where individuals hesitate or fail to take action is horribly broken. As nice as it is to think that one day leadership will suddenly wake up, that’s just like hoping Someone will fix the problem. This revolution of action in the form of problem-solving, experimenting and innovating starts with you putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.

Starting today:

• See a problem, fix a problem. Never leave a garbage can smoldering.
• Quit waiting for leadership to change. Meaningful change starts from the middle and spreads further faster than it flows from the top.
• Accept the reality that you are Someone and make yourself known as a problem-solver.
• Export your enthusiasm for fixing, improving and innovating to your coworkers. Use the refrain, “Together, we can…”

Recognize that the phrases, “Somebody has to fix this,” and “Does anybody care?” are calls to action. Wear all of the labels if you have to until your actions convince others to step up and contribute. It’s time to start moving with purpose.

Art Petty is a coach and consultant working with executives and management teams to unlock business and human potential. He writes the Leadership Caffeine blog.