Stupid Use of Time

Dear Pragmatist,

I work for a medium-sized firm. I haven’t been working long, and was amazed when, as part of a move, the senior staff spent an inordinate amount of time debating and designing the “we are moving postcard.” Am I insane to believe that this was a stupid use of time?

You are not crazy, as a matter of fact you sound like my kid of guy. Actually, you would be amazed at the amount of time that leadership teams in companies of all sizes waste on nonessential activities. It has been rumored that one global firm spent more time selecting the company’s holiday card than debating its vital Africa strategy. The reality is that too little attention is paid to strategy and most firms do not have the discipline or accountability to focus management’s time on the most important issues.