Engagement and dropping balls

When there's too much to do, what can I drop, but still keep engagement going?

Having too much work is a real problem. And writing things drops. So here is an opportunity to pause and reflect: from an engagement perspective, what can you drop, and what can you not drop?

1. We all get told you can drop "rubber balls", but not "glass balls"

The issue here is: how do you know which is a rubber ball, and which is a glass ball? Sometimes, you've got to drop something to find out what happens if you drop it.

2. Most glass balls when dropped don't break — they just chip

The idea that if we drop a glass ball it will smash and cannot be put back together is false, I think. Most glass things chip. Most things that involve engagement are likely more resilient than we may think.

3. In fact, many balls when dropped will get caught by someone else

Here's the kicker: often it's when you drop something, that someone else steps in to catch it!

Very often our passion can become a problem. We are so keen to hold onto things — often to have them done "our way" — that we remove the chance for others to step in and do things their way, which adds more engagement strength to anything we're doing.

Any parent knows this. If you keep on tidying up after your kids, they won't do it themselves. You've got to let them do it, even if it causes frustration in the short term.

4. When other people catch balls, they are often happy to carry them as well

Turns out, by letting some things drop, others can catch them — and there are loads of people keen to not only catch these balls, but carry them.

Sometimes tactical negligence is a useful strategy to allow others to take more ownership.

In engaging colleagues, customers and communities, we often hold on too tight, more than too loosely.