A small part of one section of our fence started leaning forward the other day. We knew we had to fix it but we figured we’d have a bit of time. The fence had endured for a while – no reason to rush a repair job.
Within a few days, however, the entire section started to fall apart. If you looked at the section now, it’d be unrecognizable. It is hard to believe a fully functional fence stood there just 2 weeks ago.
It is a good reminder of how things fall apart. You see a sign, then things begin to fall apart gradually, and then suddenly. It is a great way to think about dysfunctional cultures too. If you see signs of dysfunction easily, it means the reality is likely much worse.
Every sign of smoke doesn’t require a fire engine / emergency responder. But we’re generally better off taking the signs seriously.
