I know that size does matter, but apparently sequence matters more.
The other day, we were trying to get one of those Graco portable cribs to function. It only took three steps. Janet, by far the more practical of the two of us, kept working on it. She jumped from one to three without an issue but somehow wasn’t able to get number two to work, which entailed the locking of the sidebars. I came in, trying to figure it out, after Janet gave up. No luck. After about 20 minutes of functioning with what was nothing other than a couple moving parts, I finally decided to start from scratch. The old adage — “when in doubt, reboot” — came to mind.
I read the instructions for number one and did it. I read the instructions for number two and did it. And then I read the instructions for number three and did it, easily. That was it. It was over. The sidebars locked without a problem. I went out, slapped my hands together, and said, “No problem, it’s finished.”
Janet looked at me, incredulous because she had been working on that thing for something like two hours. She said—knowing full well how totally inept I am when it comes to things like that, “How did you do it?”
I simply said, “It’s easy. The sequence is 1-2-3. You can’t skip two and jump to three.”
Tonight, we were trying to get the video tape in this rented condo on the beach to work. We had tried unsuccessfully on multiple occasions. This time, because both Janet and I were motivated to get the kids watching the video tape, I said, remembering the “Graco” experience, “Let’s do it the right way.” Step one. Step two. Step three: Step one: we start the TV. Step two: we turn on to channel three. Step three: we hit play on the remote. Lo and behold, it worked like a charm. It worked without an issue, and it only took some 20 seconds. We simply followed the sequence.
There’s no question in my mind that size matters! You know what I’m talking about. Skill! Contacts! Assets! Revenue! All of those things where power can create a result.
But, as I think about these two tiny lessons in life, it occurs to me that sequence really matters more. When we skip our steps, when we think we can got from one position to another without paying our dues, when we think we don’t need to do certain things, inevitably, it just doesn’t work. We end up not only failing but also frustrated—spending far more time trying to accomplish what we could have accomplished if we had just simply done it in sequence.
I’m sure you’ve heard or read stories in the history books we’ve all studied as to what happened with virtually any country that attacked Russia. By allowing their front lines to gap too far ahead of their supply lines, the military ultimately stranded the front lines and were not able to support them with cargo, ammunition, food, supplies, and the like. They skipped from Step one to Step three without making sure Step two was in place.
So too with companies who get too far ahead of their fulfillment by aggressively marketing and selling. The next thing you know, the company has outstripped its ability to support its marketing and sales effort: it did not create and buttress the infrastructure to support its sales and marketing efforts. Again, it jumped from Step one to Step three without making sure Step two was in place.
The examples are plentiful from virtually any aspect of life and, surprisingly, the lesson is really not all the complex:
Step one. Step two. Step three. Let’s not cheat the sequence, or there will be pain to pay.
You can’t hit step number two unless you have earned your dues on step number one. And you can’t reach step number three until you’ve earned your dues on step number two. If you don’t, you will inevitably retrace your steps and have to go back to rebuild your position in life all over again. And the chances are very strong it will have cost you big time along the way—in money, time and psyche.
Can you still get there? Sure. But it’s going to require a whole lot more time and much more effort.
Size, yes. But sequence first.
Original writing date: September 2003