The first hiccups of the year: What early disruptions reveal

Olufemi Ogunlowo, Group Managing Director of Strategic Outsourcing Ltd (SOL) Group

“The child who stumbles early learns how to balance.” — African proverb

Every new year begins with conviction. Strategies are aligned, targets are agreed, and teams return with renewed intention. January often carries the confidence of possibility — until the first disruptions arrive. They are usually small: a delayed delivery, a misaligned forecast, a staffing gap, a customer complaint that was not expected, or a system that freezes just when a deadline approaches. These are not crises. They are the first hiccups of the year — and they matter.

Hiccups test readiness. They show whether planning includes buffers, whether teams understand their priorities, and whether leadership is prepared for contingencies rather than only ideal conditions. A business with a strong plan but weak responsiveness feels steady until pressured; the moment of pressure is when its early vulnerabilities become visible.

Some organisations respond to hiccups defensively. They rationalise, escalate blame, or insist that the disruption is temporary and therefore unworthy of attention. But hiccups are rarely about the event itself; they are signals. A late vendor delivery hints at supply chain fragility. An unexpected staff resignation exposes succession gaps. A missed target suggests that assumptions may have been optimistic. A service delay indicates that capacity planning may need reinforcement. The wise organisation studies hiccups before they become trends.

One company recently discovered that its seamless year-end transition plan had overlooked a practical detail: half of its field staff returned a week later than expected due to travel constraints. Work resumed, but performance lagged quietly for two weeks as teams caught up. No customer churned, no crisis emerged — yet internal leaders recognised that the organisation depended too heavily on perfect attendance. The lesson was not punishment but preparedness: build resilience into scheduling, resource allocation and service continuity.

Another firm experienced an early-year dip in cash collections because several clients reviewed their own budgets later than usual. Instead of pressing harder, leadership used the moment to reassess receivables discipline, communication timing and credit exposure. The hiccup revealed not negligence, but assumptions. After modest adjustments, collections strengthened — not because the disruption disappeared, but because the organisation responded deliberately rather than reactively.

“Customers too respond to hiccups differently each year. A slight change in tone, a longer approval cycle, or a lower volume of early enquiries may not feel significant in isolation.”

The first hiccups of the year also reveal morale. When staff face small disruptions, their reaction tells leaders more than surveys can. Some teams improvise constructively; others wait for instruction. Some surface risks early; others stay silent. Some are correct without being told; others interpret every setback as proof that targets are unrealistic. Hiccups do not create culture — they expose it.

Customers too respond to hiccups differently each year. A slight change in tone, a longer approval cycle, or a lower volume of early enquiries may not feel significant in isolation. Yet these cues reflect customer sentiment that should not be ignored. The organisation that observes carefully adjusts early. The one that explains away every disruption may find itself surprised later.

Hiccups also challenge leadership bandwidth. In January, almost every demand feels urgent. Leaders who try to resolve every issue personally soon discover the limits of their own capacity. Hiccups offer an early opportunity to test delegation: whose judgement is trusted, where authority resides, and how quickly decisions can be made without constant escalation. Leadership that insists on carrying everything in January is often fatigued by April.

The African proverb teaches that the child who stumbles early learns how to balance. Hiccups are not failures; they are feedback. They invite reflection, not panic. They reveal whether the organisation has built resilience into its structure or whether it relies on momentum alone. Ignored, they accumulate. Observed, they strengthen.

As the year begins, leaders should not wait for crises before adjusting course. The small signals are already present. Hiccups ask important questions: Is our staffing plan realistic? Is our capacity sufficient? Are our forecasts grounded? Are our customers confident? Are our systems ready? Are we managing risk or hoping for smooth weather?

The organisations that treat hiccups as intelligence improve quietly. They adjust assumptions, correct priorities and reinforce standards while the year is still young. Those that dismiss hiccups often confront the same issues later — but louder, costlier and with less time to respond.

The first disruptions of the year will not determine the entire journey, but how an organisation responds to them reveals how prepared it is for the road ahead. Hiccups are not interruptions. They are messages.

Dr Olufemi Ogunlowo is the CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Limited, a leading provider of personnel and business process outsourcing services in Nigeria. He is also a regular columnist on employment and workforce strategy.

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