(From 12/19/04) – Mission Credible – I went to the mall today and they had planned in advance for a heavy shopping day. To avoid parking lot traffic problems, they closed off areas so you couldn’t turn left, they directed certain traffic to the parking garage, other traffic to different lots, etc. I was directed to the parking garage, but it was full. Because of traffic barricades, my only option was to leave the parking lot completely and try another entrance to see if I could find a parking space there. After I left the lot, I just left. I decided it wasn’t worth the hassle. You have heard the phrase “Mission Critical” which means something that absolutely has to be done to accomplish the mission. I’d like to introduce another phrase – Mission Credible. The main objective of the mall is to sell products. The parking lot’s normal function is to provide easy access so shoppers can complete the buying process. In this case, the parking lot became the end in itself. The important goal was to smooth the flow of traffic. But the issue wasn’t parking – there were plenty of parking spaces available. You could see them, but you couldn’t get to them. Not only was the traffic plan not Mission Critical (the mission is to sell products), it wasn’t Mission Credible. It forced people to leave the parking lot. If you are perceptive, you will see this happen frequently, where fixing a side issue will derail the attainment of your original objective. So when you are doing something that isn’t Mission Critical, make that that it is at least Mission Credible. And if it isn’t Mission Credible, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.