The Top-Ten Strategies For Dealing With a Dead Horse

While reading John Maxwell’s Failing Forward, I came across a list of strategies for dealing with a dead horse. Although this might be dark humor for some, it does provide us all with insights on the cycle of insanity when we keep on trying extract something useful out of something else that is no longer providing any value.

Not long ago, a friend sent me “The Top Ten Strategies for Ealing with a Dead Horse.” I thought it was hilarious.

1. Buy a stronger whip.

2. Change riders.

3. Appoint a committee to study the horse.

4. Appoint a team to revive the horse.

5. Send out a memo declaring the horse isn’t really dead.

6. Hire an expensive consultant to “find the real problem.”

7. Harness several dead horses together for increased speed and efficiency.

8. Rewrite the standard definition of live horse.

9. Declare the horse to be better, faster, and cheaper when dead.

10. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Please - I beg of you - do not think of your current employer when you read number 10. Instead, consider the old proverb true, “there is no use beating a dead horse.” Its time to move on. Its time to find new opportunity. Its time to get off of the cycle of insanity - doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. The horse is dead! Choose your version of hard work!

Questions to Ponder

• What “Dead Horse” are you trying to rebrand in an effort to conceal a mistake or failure that you have made?

• What goal(s) do you want to see succeed, but are not able to because you haven’t moved on from self-pity or fear?

• Are you trying to control or manipulate relationships, resources, or skills to make your “Dead Horse” seam more viable?

To finding a new team (of live horses) dedicated to your success!