Just When You Think You're Done…The Last Mile Problem
Emerging from the messy middle straight into the last mile
It has been a few weeks since my last newsletter. The messy middle has been messier and lasted longer than I anticipated. I am happy to say, I have emerged…the tears have dried up, the editing is done, and I can see the end in sight.
One Truth
The beginning, when I started writing the book, feels so far away. I’ve also moved past the doubt and drag of the messy middle. And the end is near, I can feel the celebration looming, but I’m not there yet. There are about a million other tasks that need to happen to get my book from my computer into your hands. And what’s ahead feels different. Much of the book-writing process is isolating; it’s an individual task. But bringing the book into the world takes a village.
One Insight
What’s ahead feels like what Professor Dilip Soman of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management calls the last mile problem.
He shares an observation to illustrate this concept. The Canadian government introduced a $500 education savings scheme to help families. The uptake should have been close to 100%; who wouldn’t want money to help their children’s education? The update was only 16%. Why? That last mile of getting the $500 into the accounts of those it was designed to help wasn’t thought about. Families needed a special type of bank account to access the funds, and nobody had thought about this little detail. Great policy, good intentions, but failed at the last mile.
I’ve observed this in my own work. Organizations are great at starting things. The strategy is created, the “thing” gets made, launches, implementations, and rollouts happen. And yet, getting the “thing” into the hands of the people it was designed for doesn’t happen.
Insights into Action
So how do we prepare for the last mile?
Anticipate the needs of the last mile. In the grand scheme of things, the last mile is tiny, which can explain why it gets missed. Now that you know the last mile exists, plan for it. In my case, I’ve been talking with authors, capturing their tips and lessons learned. I’m building a checklist. And here is a bonus: every time I check something off that list, I get a little dopamine hit. Those small wins create the brain chemistry to keep propelling us forward.
Build a supportive village. What I have learned…am learning is that you cannot go the last mile alone. It literally takes a village of supporters and cheerleaders. The village will look different for every project, but every project needs a village to get it across the last mile.
Get Unstuckifyed
The last mile is coming, and we need to prep for it. Make the list. Build the checklist. Ask for help. And think carefully about all the little things that need to come together to get that project across the last mile.
Till Next Time
You didn’t come all this way not to make it through the last mile. Keep going.
Thanks for getting Unstuckifyed with me.
Dr Dani
P.S. Here is me, taking my own advice. The last mile takes a village, and I’m building mine. It would mean so much to me to have you as part of my village to get this book into the hands of the people who need it. Join here: https://forms.gle/d8UqGHnjVn7BDpwPA