At the risk of having you think that I’m one of those odd cat ladies, I want to tell you another story about Marty, my cat.
Last week I walked into the kitchen after breakfast and found Marty sitting on the kitchen counter. The poor guy was crying and clearly in pain. Next thing you know, I’m driving Marty to the emergency room at Angell Memorial Hospital in Jamaica Plain, right up the street from where I live.
In case you’re not a pet owner, let me tell you that having a sick animal is stressful. And having a sick animal at the emergency room without the benefit of Blue Cross Blue Shield introduces a whole new level of stress.
Since I’ve been here before and know the drill, I took Marty straight to the emergency desk for triage. After checking out Marty’s condition, the doctor decided to admit him. Cha-ching! My credit card was swiped for $156. On top of that, before they would take him to be treated, I had to sign a waiver authorizing the doctors to spend an additional $500, if necessary. Cha-ching, cha-ching! And this was just to find out what was wrong.
The doctor was young, bright, and very earnest. She immediately launched into a treatment plan that included blood work, urinalysis, x-rays, catheters, overnight stays and the possibility of surgery.
My mind was spinning with all this new information and I was feeling the urgent need to make a fast decision because Marty was in pain. At the same time, I wanted to know how much this was going to cost and weigh my options before jumping in.
Later on, while waiting for Marty’s test results, it occurred to me that many small business owners are often faced with these kinds of situations-characterized as unexpected, unfamiliar and high-risk. If you find yourself in a similar predicament, here’s what I recommend:
- Decide what you need to know (and what you don’t). It turns out that some of the more expensive tests for Marty would have given us information more quickly, but knowing earlier wouldn’t have made a difference in our actions. As a business owner, you may also have the urge to know everything when, in fact, all you really need to know are the things that will impact action.
- Don’t be afraid to talk about money. When I was talking to Marty’s doctor, I wanted to know how much each procedure was going to cost so I could weigh the benefits against the cost (what was interesting is that she didn’t know). Part of me felt terrible pursuing questions about money in the face of Marty’s crisis, but boy am I glad I did. And what’s even more interesting is that, by factoring money into the equation, I made better decisions for Marty’s wellbeing.
- Be clear about what problem you’re trying to solve. At the hospital that day, my goal wasn’t to get as much information as possible about my cat. My goal was to stop the pain and figure out how to get Marty feeling better. By the same token, whether you’re chasing after the latest social media craze, a new phone system or even a new website, make sure you know where you want to go before you get behind the wheel and start driving!
Remember, you (almost always) have more options than you think.
Even though it might feel like you need to jump into action, take some time to sketch out the problem, get clear on your options, and get your team on board first. You’ll save money and time, and be a lot happier with your decision once the panic has passed.
P.S. Marty’s great – he’s getting better every day and I’m happy to report that he’s back to using the kitchen counter for birdwatching, his favorite hobby.