Are you naturally a “can kicker” or “wheel greaser”?

Two phrases I recently heard made me think about influential stakeholders. Some take steps to avoid decision making. Others won’t stop until a decision is made.

And, without being political, you may see this playing out at the highest levels.

What are the phrases?

1. “Kicking the can down the road.” Meaning to delay dealing with a problem. Often putting something that looks like action into place, but is just a delaying tactic.
2. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Meaning to make problems visible. In doing so attract attention to them and increase the chances of action.

I’m sure you can find plenty of examples without having to try hard.

This week’s mini-mission is to answer three questions:

When have you seen a stakeholder deploy these strategies to delay, or accelerate, your project?

Would you every recommended these strategies to your client? If not, why not?

Are you naturally a “can kicker” or “wheel greaser”?

Please let me know. Was this brief a useful exploration for you?