Getting “Unstuck”: Do “Just One Thing”

There is quite a bit of irony as I write this blog article. While this post is about getting unstuck on food safety challenges, I failed for nearly two months to make my thoughts come to fruition on paper. Each day, the colorful rainbow of Post-it notes tacked to my computer screen reminded me of my expert level of procrastination. And I'm not alone on this. After working with food safety professionals and produce growers for over 15 years, I realized this phenomenon is relatively common. 

Why do so many people struggle to address and overcome food safety challenges?

A few thoughts come to mind:

• The topic is technically challenging, so some feel they don't have the knowledge or expertise to tackle it independently. Yet, they are unwilling to ask for outside help (or they are not supported by leadership to bring in experts to assist). 

• The food safety risk does not pose an imminent threat (i.e., low priority), so it gets back-burnered, or one does not know that the hazard might pose an impending food safety risk. 

• The food safety culture is reactive rather than proactive, leaving necessary preventive measures from being implemented. 

• Programs are understaffed or resource-limited, leaving farms and food facilities to decide what can and should be done first to minimize risk. 

• Simply put, people don't want to do the work. It's an unfortunate reality, but food safety isn't always easy and sometimes requires initiative, persistence, and unconventional thinking. 

While these all might contribute to the problem of making food safety progress, one of the most prevalent but least acknowledged barriers is the lack of activation energy to get it done.

Let me transport you back to high school and college chemistry. To refresh your memory, activation energy is the minimum energy required for a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions don't happen spontaneously; they need the initial energy input to get started. Dr. Betsy Bihn, Director of the Produce Safety Alliance and Senior Extension Associate at Cornell University, conceptualized this analogy – and my first boss and mentor out of grad school. As we traveled around New York State and beyond, educating produce growers and packers on food safety, it became evident that one of the most significant barriers to putting pen to paper for a food safety plan was this initial activation energy to get it started. But as soon as that activation energy was satisfied, that "warm fuzzy feeling" of progress could be achieved. I'm finding this still holds very true, with all types of industry members – growers, processors, FS & QC professionals, and even corporate food safety teams.

My goal in this blog is to get every reader to do just one thing that has been sitting on the list of to-dos but hasn't been done. Pick the thing that pops into your head frequently as a "Ugh, I still haven't done X, Y, or Z yet. " Stressor. Have the thing in your mind? Good. Now, let's work through it together.

Evaluate Your "Current State"

This is the place where you're probably experiencing that anxiety, fear, and loathing shown in the graphic of this post. When you thought of that "thing" I asked about above, why hasn't it been done? Write three reasons (if there even are three, often there's just one!). 

Now, step back and evaluate whether the barrier is real or perceived. 

• The Real: Are physical steps or processes preventing you from progressing? For example, you're working towards establishing a new wash water protocol but getting stuck troubleshooting equipment calibrations. Reaching out to the equipment manufacturer, sanitation company, or post-harvest professional may be able to provide a solution quickly and effectively. Don't flounder trying to find a solution for too long (but also, try to make some effort before throwing in the towel!).

• The Perceived: Are there perceptions or preconceived notions that your food safety program has to be a specific way because "So and So" said it had to be, or the program was inherited, and "that's just the way it's been done"? Know that YOU can propose and make those changes – you might need the right tools, knowledge, and approach to get it done. 

Write down three potential solutions to whatever barrier or problem you're encountering. Quickly research and test those solutions' viability, benefits, and downsides – I bet you'll soon see there is a way out! Don't spend more than 5 minutes on this part of the exercise.

Getting "Unstuck"

Activation energy is what will get you "unstuck". It's that push to get you to the top of the hill, where it's all easy cruising from then on, after some progress is made. Or in the wise words of my father, "Now we're cooking with gas!"

• Accountability coaches and partners: Have you heard of them? Well, neither had I until Jennifer and I started participating in a program for developing the 'Smart Gets Paid' business led by Leah Neaderthal. I've come to recognize the huge value of having someone (or a community of people) to hold you accountable, brainstorm solutions to your problems, and celebrate your successes. Much like a running partner for 6 am helps motivate you to get out of bed, consider finding yourself an internal (inside your organization) or external accountability buddy – or better yet, see one of both. I find that so many food safety professionals are working in isolation. Consider the value of joining an industry association or attending a conference where you can meet other individuals with similar roles and responsibilities, and recruit them as your accountability buddy. Bonus points if they have a skillset that helps answer your progress barrier!

• Revisit how much time you are spending on the problem/solution. If a task takes longer than you think, check in with someone. Find a trusted advisor or colleague. Whatever you do, don't flounder in that part of the activation energy curve, which feels like an uphill battle. 

• Set achievable goals. Even though they are seemingly tiny tasks, they can contribute significantly to the project's progress. What was the first thing that got me to start writing this blog post? I threw away the Post-it notes with my ideas. Because I knew if I put them in the trash, my ideas might disappear – and I certainly didn't want that to happen! Similarly, when I used to work in Extension 1-on-1 with growers (often who were 3x my age and with limited technological experience), simply getting them to open a food safety template from a USB drive and save it to the desktop of their computer was a practical and valuable goal to achieve as part of our workshops. It's all they needed to get rolling on it. 

• Celebrate and Share! I wish there were more of this in the world of food safety. We all share the same goal – making food safe, or even safer, for our families and communities to eat. Let's celebrate food safety progress a little more, even if it means just giving high-fives for the first Listeria spp. and finding it part of your newly implemented environmental monitoring program. Celebrating food safety successes, no matter how small, can lead to an ingrained culture of food safety. Sharing those learnings for the benefit of all industry members only elevates the entire food industry as we work toward the shared goal of a safe, nutritious, and abundant food supply.

At Food Safety Strategy, one of our core values is equipping our clients with the knowledge, tools, and skills they need to independently and effectively run robust, science-based food safety programs. If you are feeling "stuck," reach out to us!