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Midweek Mini: Put Out the Match, Not the Bushfire

Hope is not a strategy. When you see that little flare of trouble in your team, process, or system, and you think "I hope that dies out on its own" - that's the moment to act. Three weeks later when you're fighting a bushfire, you'll wish you'd dealt with the match.

The Core Principle

Small conversations feel awkward because you're bringing up something that seems minor. But issues escalate quickly:

• Employee giving you a little bit of tone
• Meeting disagreement that wasn't handled well
• Process starting to break down
• Relationship tension beginning to show

Why We Avoid the Match

• Feels too small to address
• Might make things weird
• Hope it resolves itself
• Don't want to seem petty
• Busy with bigger fires