Are you in the mole-whacking business?

​Last week I asked you to kill a snake. Continuing on this blood-thirsty theme, I’m wondering how much time you spend killing moles?

You must have seen the arcade game Whack A Mole which is all about smacking cute little moles on the head as they peep out of their holes. Fun game! Just as you knock one back another appears and another, and another…until your time, or your money runs out. Fun, but infuriating!

Do you ever feel like that game mirrors your work – maybe your whole life?

Always fixing the latest problem, always dealing with mini or sometimes major crises?

Of course, for those of you in love with the struggle this is all part of the game, part of what you love about being in business.  Fire-fighting can be fun!

A crisis occurs and we rush in and save the day. It’s high octane, high energy and a great adrenaline rush. Aren’t we the hero!

I’m sure you’re not old enough to remember public service broadcasts!  They were like ads only non-commercial, aimed purely at educating and informing the apparently ‘not too bright’ population of Britain at the time.

Anyway, there was one about a family whose water pipes had burst.  It showed how the father had all the family trained to go through a well-rehearsed, well-drilled process of dealing with it – turn off stop cock, get buckets under leak, mop up water with old towels…

At the end of the ad a smug father and his family stand there proudly, crisis overcome. And just as you’re thinking that it’s their well-drilled ‘crisis management’ that’s being recommended, the voiceover says, “Well done Mr Mole…..but what a pity you let it happen in the first place….”

Fire-fighting can be fun. But…

What if our time or money run out?

It isn’t sustainable, it’s a waste of our resources, and it’s certainly not good for our reputation – with our team or our customers.

Yes, some fire-fighting is inevitable; there will always be the knowns and the unknowables, the controllables and the uncontrollables. No matter how much we plan or anticipate the future there is always uncertainty.

But – if you’re constantly fire-fighting – if every business day is a game of Whack A Mole, then maybe it’s time to call in Bright 7 pest control and get some preventative systems in place.​

We don’t kill moles, but we do prevent them from digging up your business.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk