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A Chip in the Windshield

A good friend of mine, definitely not me, was driving to his weekly dinner with his parents and took a stone to the front of the windshield. There was a loud SNAP, one that makes you jump in your chair and bang your head on the ceiling of the car – at least, that is what he told me. Sure enough, there was a substantial chip right in the centre of the window. 

“Damn, perfect ending to a terrible day,” he thought as he continued down the road, running late for dinner. Like the world was not messed up enough with complications at work, family strife and Christmas just around the corner. The last thing he needed was an additional cost and the time it would take to deal with it.

Today’s cautionary tale will be a metaphor for (I always love the phrase ‘metaphor for’ – could one just say meta-eight?) procrastination, timed for the beginning of the new year…perfect.

My friend meant to take the windshield in for repair right away, but a week later, it was unchanged. Then early one morning, when the car had been outside overnight, on an unusually crisp and frosty winter’s eve, he came out and started the car, cranking up the defroster. The sound of the c-r-a-c-k was just like ice on a shallow puddle as you slowly press down with your winter boots.

He felt the guilt spreading through his bones for a task undone, as he watched the windshield defrost to reveal a 2-foot splinter heading left and right. “Damn – that should have been repaired last weekend.” He made a mental note to fix it right away. But, 

“There were planes to catch and bills to pay,
he learned to walk while I was away…”

By now, the crack went from the driver’s corner, all the way over to the edge of the passengers’ window. He really would have to deal with it right away. But, even as I typed out this story it started to spread north towards the roof of the car – before long the windshield will be lying in his lap. 

“Really, this weekend I will get it fixed,” he lamented just last evening as he reviewed the events of the week.

Is there a chip in the windshield of your organization, or your personal finances?  

  • A staff challenge that you have not addressed?
  • A restricted balance that needs your attention?
  • Does your chart of accounts drive you crazy?
  • A need to repair or update equipment that is tired or out of date?

None of these problems will go away without addressing them head on. Their impact on profitability and growth will spread until it is hard to see through the challenges. 

We need to stay vigilant and deal with issues and problems as they arise. Dealt with quickly, they will be challenges, soon forgotten; left to fester, they will become nightmares that haunt out dreams. 

If you are facing challenges, give me a call and we can start to tackle them right away. Now, does anyone have a suggestion on the best place to repair the windshield in a Buick?

If Clarity NPO can help, go to our contact page and drop me a note, or give me a call. 

Please feel free to leave a comment, below.

Thanks for your eyes.



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