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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Wednesday Nov. 30, 2011
column written/ published from my residence in Cranston (SE Calgary) near the Bow River valley
Morning walk: -2C/27F, steady NW wind, fresh blanket of wet white still falling; Gusta elected to do her business quickly . . . enjoying the snow but not nuts about the wind.
Recent events – a potential project, involved bringing together a collage of companies to form a consortium for a bid (bringing along their perceptions, half-baked ideas and anecdotal 3rd party gossip and misgivings) resulted what has been, looking back, a likely obvious and predictable conclusion not to go forward.
Was that a good idea?
Or great opportunity lost by reason of cluster-dumb decision on insufficient information?
Still working on an alternate scenario with other players, and a better strategy now that obstacles have been identified – but I was wondering if this is a greater lesson for use in other situations, or for better managing my own life.
I make decisions sometimes based on insufficient information, incorrect information and sometimes based on too much information, or influence of one party or a particular school of thought.
Looking back on my best adventures – professionally and personally, best ones came from innocuous unexpected beginnings which then led down paths I didn’t know existed where spectacular results came to life.
When things go well . . . I smile and move forward with extra spring in my step, enthusiasm and an energy surge. I don’t usually try to read the tea leaves of what just happened to dissect and understand what went well.
Maybe I should.
When things go badly . . . I don’t smile, tend toward stall-mode, lose energy and try to ‘keep my chin up’. I try to read the tea leaves, examine details and replay events in my mind hoping to find the flaw-lesson in it, or, albeit late in the game, attempt corrective action to resuscitate.
Maybe I shouldn’t.
Maybe another strategy is best . . .
I worked with a fellow once, as partners in a venture and sharing office space with his firm. Every time I was in his natty office he had the files he was working on laid out on his credenza – behind him – where they were handy, but out of view. I asked him once why he did that. He explained that in the moment he only wanted to focus on what he had on his desk but wanted all his current business no more than one arm’s length away and, when he came in each morning he wanted a reminder of jus how good – or not – things were going at the time! On reflection that might be a better idea than reading tea leaves.
As business year draws toward its close, as we look forward to next year plans, most of us develop some kind of roadmap to next year, to compare, to reflect and to improve what we are doing . . . in a business plan, a budget or a review of our guiding principles.
In my view, it ought to be a blend of all three.
Just as we do this process at work, we need to do it at home – in our personal lives too – don’t we?
Or . . .
Maybe, I should be like Gusta . . . when she is at the end of her tether or on the wrong side of a tree, she just runs the other way, or another, or another until she gets running room.
Mark Kolke
307,799
P.S.: many people are paying homage today to Mark Twain. If he was still alive he would be 176 today. I think celebrating birthdays 100 years after someone died is ridiculous. Now, if was still alive, that would be worth celebrating!
NO THING BETTER
Thanks Mark. I’m sure another project will come up in the future, PJ, Saskatoon, SK
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