Dysfunctional organizations don’t just materialize. According to American Entrepreneur and Marketer Seth Godin, they develop as a result of many compromises made over time.

A new hire doesn’t seem to be catching on, but the time it will take to replace her trumps the need for initiative and productivity.

A skilled tradesman refuses to train a co-worker because he’s afraid he’ll become less indispensable to his company. The need to maintain current production levels trumps the need for cooperation, teamwork, and increased production capacity.

A sales rep refuses to learn the new CRM platform and says she’s too busy to enter information into the system. The need for an immediate sale trumps the need for account development and consistent revenue growth.

And finally, a tired owner spends 18 hours a day putting out fires, leaving no time for strategic planning. The need to cross items off a list trumps the company’s long-term sustainability.

Organizations of all sizes and types make decisions daily that prevent them from growing into the businesses they were meant to be. The reasons are plentiful—no time to think, too hard to fix, too many urgent needs to attend to. These compromises pave the path to mediocrity. If you want to be the best, don’t compromise! Choose team players, quick learners, time managers, strategic thinkers, and the future over the present.

Quote of the Week: “Be careful not to compromise what you want most for what you want now.” – Zig Ziglar