In a company, you can have many different Red Herrings that make you take your eyes off the ball. Often considered shiny objects, they can take various forms.
So, let’s talk about how red herrings can cloud the conversation and how to stay focused on what truly matters.
Common Red Herrings and Their Distractions:
- Feature Creep: We (hypothetically) get excited about all the cool things we can do, and suddenly, the core functionality gets lost in a sea of bells and whistles. This distracts from the core value we provide.
- Focus on Competition: It’s important to be aware of what others are doing, but getting tangled in “keeping up with the Joneses” can make us lose sight of what makes us unique and valuable.
- Terminology Traps: Jargon and overly technical language can alienate users. We need to communicate clearly and effectively, not impress with obscurity.
Staying on Track:
- Relentless Focus: Clearly define our core mission and constantly evaluate new ideas against that mission. Does it support our core function or just add complexity?
- User-Centric Design: Who are we trying to help? What are their needs? Keeping users at the forefront of decision-making helps avoid getting lost in internal discussions.
- Simplicity Wins: While cutting-edge features can be tempting, prioritizing user experience with a clear, intuitive interface is often the better path.
Remember: Red herrings are everywhere. By recognizing them and staying focused on our core mission and user needs, we can avoid getting sidetracked and ensure we’re delivering the most value possible.
What are your thoughts? What red herrings have you encountered? Share your experiences in the comments!
Schoder Media 