Disclaimer: This post is not about the efficacy of masks for COVID.  

I was watching The Crown on Netflix and in one of the early episodes, there’s a depiction of the Great London Fog of 1952.  The government was aloof as citizens suffered from thick air pollution laced with toxins. I had never heard of this real-life crisis, but thousands of Londoners died from five days of heavy fog laced with air pollution.

As the medical staff was treating patients in the Emergency room, someone asks one of the doctors what interventions they should use for the patients who were suffering.

What about masks?” they asked.

“Masks are useless! It’s just to make the government look like it’s doing something!” The Doctor exclaimed.

Estimates are that up to 12,000 people died in the 1952 Great Smog of London (Source: The Verge)

The best way to be completely ineffective…

The best way to be completely ineffective at what you’re doing is to: do something to make it look like you’re doing “something” and then be inflexible about pivoting when it’s clear that this isn’t working.

I have learned this lesson in my professional life, my personal life, and we’ve seen governments and corporations do this all the time.  There is no thought put into desired outcomes or if what we’re doing will be effective.

In my professional life, I used to do all sorts of courses and do all kinds of things in order to “be in action”.  Unfortunately, all of these “actions” added up to me being in debt and not gaining many clients.  I was taking actions that weren’t effective because I wanted to look like I was doing something even though it was leading to nowhere.

We watch governments and corporations do this all the time.  They will take actions in order to look like they’re taking problems seriously even if the actions lead to little or no results. Continuing to do this long-term will lead to a loss of trust and effectiveness

Be Intentional..and be Flexible!

In these uncertain times, there is an intense urge to do, “something” because so much of life is uncertain.  Resist the urge to take action so that you can look like you’re doing “something.” Instead, be intentional about any actions you’re taking and ask yourself if what you’re doing will lead to effective results.

If you’re intentional about your intended outcomes, then you’re far more likely to take meaningful actions that will be effective.

The definition of ineffective is: not producing an intended effect and not being capable of performing efficiently or as expected.

You can have the best plans, strategies, and theories but if they’re not effective then you’re wasting time.  It’s important to not only be intentional but to also be flexible and learn to pivot when you see what you’re doing is ineffective and not landing.

So many people want to hang on to what hasn’t worked, isn’t working now, and won’t work in the future and thereby render themselves ineffective over the long term.  We see situations where leaders insist that their policies and what they’re doing is right and continue to try and impose their will on the people even though their “RIGHT” policies have led to minimal and mediocre results.

These leaders insist on doing things without intentionality to make it look like they’re doing” something productive” but unfortunately, it falls on deaf ears because their audience sees the lack of results.

The Leaders then run around in circles frustrated because nobody is cooperating with them and they’re not making any progress. It. becomes a vicious cycle until the Leaders finally quit.

Actions to look like you’re doing “something” without intention and flexibility are ineffective.

Be Intentional

Be Flexible

Be Effective!