Last week, one of my business credit cards was charged for purchases I never made. I had to dispute the fraudulent charges and cancel my old card. I was fortunate. The damage was minimal and getting things back in order was only a slight hassle.

The thing that bothers me the most is that I still don’t know how it happened. I tried to recall how it might have been compromised… who, when, and where did my number get lifted? Somehow, someone got into my account and used it to make fraudulent purchases.

I imagine these scammers are pretty successful at sneaking a few $15 charges onto a lot of people’s cards. Had I not been paying attention, I probably would have been on the hook for more than just $30. It made me wonder how many of these “minor security breaches” I’ve missed over the years. And no, not just financial ones.

Every day, we’re consumed by ‘busyness’ and we overlook little things that cost us time, money, energy, and valuable peace of mind. We’re consumed by so many “big things” that we can’t be bothered with the little ones.

Chances are it’s no different with your business. Many overburdened managers trust that if everything appears to be moving, it must be moving forward. Unfortunately, “everybody is working” doesn’t mean that “everything is working”. Your team probably sees what’s going on, but what about you? Unless you pay attention to what everybody’s doing on a regular basis, you won’t know what’s really happening down in the trenches.

Sadly, the people and the forces that do the most damage to your business usually come from within. Pay attention, ask questions, and be decisive.