A few months ago, I popped a rib in BJJ. I was grappling a young guy – probably half my age – with a handlebar mustache. The mustache, alone, was a reason to teach him a few things.

While giving him a lesson he’d never forget, my ribs decided not to stick together. They relocated suddenly. I was forced to tap out. As I sat on the side of the mat, waiting for the pain to catch up with me. I knew I’d be sidelined for a while.

Rib injuries are uniquely challenging. You can’t do much to stabilize them or help them heal. The doctor said what I expected he would, “You should rest it for a few weeks.” And that’s about it.

At least he didn’t tell me I was too old to be goofing around like this. Not that I was going to listen anyway. I think he sensed that.

I rested for a few weeks. But my ribs kept moving around. Independent of each other. It felt just like you probably imagined it would. I had never really appreciated the ‘togetherness’ of my other ribs until these decided to go separate ways.

Weeks turned into months. No change. In fact, my ribs started to feel worse. I could sometimes feel them move as I breathed in and out.

Eventually, I saw a physical therapist. He asked a few questions, poked, and prodded for a while. Had me do a couple of experimental movements. Finally, he said,

“Your ribs only feel like they are moving. They’ve healed. But your musculature is in crisis mode. It is so clenched up that it doesn’t recognize when things are in their right place.”

My muscles, without talking to me, were freaking out. They were creating their own problems.

Freaking out doesn’t help your business

It was a relief to hear that the injury wasn’t as bad as I thought. Or as it felt. Now, I need to teach the muscles over my rib cage to relax. This hasn’t been easy. But we’re getting making progress.

Many organizations I work with have their own “rib pain.” Something painful happened in their past – a mistake, an issue with an employee, an unanticipated crisis. It caused real pain. There was actual harm. They aren’t faking it.

Appropriately, they stopped and responded to the issue. They backed off. They changed their routines. They tried to do the right thing.

But the pain or discomfort lingers. And lingers. And lingers.

Like my ribs, their reaction to the problem became the problem.

Nine ways you may have overcorrected

Excessive Risk Aversion:

A leader may become overly cautious after suffering a significant financial setback from a failed investment. They might halt new investments and innovations, paralyzed by the fear of repeating past mistakes. This behavior stifles growth and innovation, making the company vulnerable to competitors willing to take calculated risks and seize new opportunities.

Micromanagement:

After experiencing a failure or disappointment, some leaders begin to micromanage their team’s work. This approach can crush employee morale and productivity, stifling creativity and initiative and making the team feel undervalued and distrusted.

Overemphasis on Compliance:

After facing legal troubles due to non-compliance, some businesses overcorrect by implementing rigid and excessive compliance measures. These measures bog down processes and increase operational costs, creating an oppressive bureaucracy that hampers efficiency and responsiveness.

Inflexible Strategy:

After a failed strategic pivot, some companies become resistant to future changes. They stick rigidly to their original strategy, even as market conditions evolve. This inflexibility can result in missed opportunities and a gradual decline in relevance as competitors adapt and innovate.=

No Goals or Strategy:

Related to the above, some companies refuse to set goals or strategies after a failed attempt to pursue a strategic goal. They adopt a fatalistic belief that it is ‘out of our control,’ resulting in a lack of ownership over direction and results.

Cutting Corners:

In response to financial losses, some companies cut corners in areas such as quality control, staff training and development, or customer service. This often compounds the losses, leading to further decline.

Overinvestment in Technology:

Sometimes, due to problems related to outdated technology, a company might overinvest in the latest tech solutions without a clear strategy. This wastes resources on solutions that don’t align with the company’s needs or business model.

Neglecting Customer Feedback:

Sometimes, a company becomes overly focused on reducing negative feedback rather than addressing the underlying causes of customer problems. This approach can result in missed opportunities for improvement and innovation, creating a disconnect between customer needs and expectations.

Unrealistic Performance Metrics:

In response to underperformance, a company may set overly ambitious performance targets. The hope is to spark improvements. However, unrealistic goals can lead to employee burnout, encourage unethical behavior to meet targets, and ultimately decrease overall performance.

Don’t let past problems control your present or define your future

The list above isn’t exhaustive. I’m sure many of you could add to it.

Mistakes, problems, and painful experiences happen. Learn from them. Take reasonable action to mitigate them. But don’t be controlled by them.

Are you (or your organization) still ‘clenched’ or overreacting to a problem from the past?

What has that overreaction been?

How can you create a constructive response to challenges and begin moving ahead?

I’m looking forward to getting back to BJJ in a few weeks. I’m doing therapy to teach my muscles to relax. I’ll start back slowly. And I’ll be a little more careful this time.

But there is a young punk out there whose handlebars I still need to straighten.

Take good care,

Christian