I spent the weekend cutting a hedge. My neighbour gave me a platform with which to cut the top. While this simplified my task, moving it along the hedge was a pain.

The reason?

One of the four wheels was out of alignment and the brake was jammed on. While the other three were fine, this one wheel made pushing or pulling the platform very difficult, wrecking the grass at the same time.

Cutting a hedge provides time to think. Having dragged this platform along the hedge more than 10 times, I decided to fix it. I had hoped I’d manage without investing the time needed to fix it. (Ring a bell?)

I am no mechanic but I resolved the issues in about five minutes, though I did need a hammer!

The platform moved easily, lawn not left with a trench dug through it and my frustration levels were lowered.

I’ve led a team of four, of which I was one. When everyone is aligned and committed, you can achieve a lot. It only takes one person to be out of alignment or less than committed and the impact is disproportionate.

It does take time to fix it, sometimes you need the (metaphorical) hammer. The question is do we do something about it?