I was the target of a marketing campaign from Chipotle, urging me to come in for a Free Guac before the end of the year. I must have received five emails from them, including one on the 31st, reminding me it was the last day to claim my bonus.
It worked and I went…only to learn that they were out of guac! Even worse, they “did not make any today, sorry.”
It’s the classic case of one part of the organization not communicating with the other. How many times have you done it? Not letting another department know that you changed a code or a policy. Not letting one parent know that the kids’ lesson is canceled and you’ve made other plans. Not letting your boss know that a meeting was rescheduled so you are working on another project in the meantime.
Nobody works in isolation. When you make plans, launch a campaign, or start a project, first consider those who will be impacted by your actions and clue them in on what’s happening. Being out of guac is a minor consequence that is a symbol of the downstream implications.
