Over the weekend I have been watching several of my neighbour’s cats walk along and numerous birds perch on, the fence enclosing my garden. It never fails to impress me that they never seem to fall off, despite looking a bit shaky from time to time. Almost like walking a tightrope, gingerly balancing, hoping not to land unceremoniously on one side or the other.
Being literally ‘on the fence’ is a funny saying when you begin to think more deeply about its real meaning. Being in between something unable or unwilling to be decisive and choose a side to be on and therefore argue in favour of. In our own personal lives how many of us have actually stayed on the fence and opted for a so-called easy life, when being asked “what would we like for dinner?”, or “what colour shall we paint the lounge?”. This passing the buck, although might seem like a good idea at the time, but in reality can lead to regrets at a later date, believe me.
In business however, things are different. Yes there have been numerous times when I would have liked to have kept a neutral position in the decision making process, but when there is a technical engineering problem, customer query or experience gone wrong, then it is simply not acceptable to sit back. This is most definitely the time to be decisive, take control of the situation and follow up with positive necessary action. Whether we find ourselves on the fence, over the hedge, or waiting in the wings, to find out if the grass is greener on the other side we must, in the first instance, make the decision to go there.
