strategy » Nonsense At Work

Have you ever watched a drunk staggering home?

Well, I once watched something similar – a guy with a metal detector combing an early morning beach. I was standing on a balcony which gave me a bird’s eye view of his progress. As I watched I realized something interesting.

Have you ever watched a guy working a metal detector? And have you watched a drunk working a side-walk? Did you notice something interesting? Correct! Both weave, but one zigzags all over the place, while the other one weaves with purpose.

That’s exactly the strategy you should adopt this year – weave with purpose.

Many organizations are punch drunk, zigzagging and stumbling about. The risk is that they will seek stability by developing rigid plans with inflexible strategies. But things are simply too uncertain for that to work.

Better for you to be clear on the outcome you want . . . and then to weave with purpose.

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Listen to the radio version of Weave with purpose (10 most recent radio files)

We are mid-way through January and I’ve finally figured out my strategy for the year.

You might believe that life is a constant struggle, but I commit to success through the Easy Way. Like a river flowing downhill to the sea.

Have you swum across a river? The inexperienced river-crosser aims at a point directly across and struggles against the current. The experienced swimmer merely aims to get across and flows with the current to the other side.

If you aim at a specific spot, then you must ‘tame’ the river. But if you merely aim to cross over, then you can ride the current across and walk to the desired spot.

About midway across the inexperienced river-crosser will find that his struggle has exhausted him. Now he must choose: a final fight against the current or give in to its flow.

Me? I’m giving in now, going with the flow, so I won’t be exhausted by June.

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Listen to the radio version of Give in now or be exhausted (10 most recent radio files)

What is the opposite of ‘right’? Before you shout ‘left’, let me a bit more specific. What is the opposite of ‘right’ as in ‘correct’?

Once upon a time my immediate response would have been ‘wrong’ as in ‘incorrect’. With scratches and scars that tell of me not knowing my left from my right, I now believe that the opposite of ‘right’ is… learning… as in ‘teaching moment’.

I have never learned as much from being right as I have gained from being wrong. So I wonder, why do we only have positive role models? How about a few negative ones! Many of us will gain more by trying to be less like poor Mr. X rather than striving to be more like spectacular Mrs. Y.

This applies equally to companies. Don’t always compare yourself to a ‘better’ competitor. Compare yourself to a ‘worse’ one to see what you should avoid doing at all cost.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Mistakenly following right (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#555: Weave with purpose

#554: Give in now or be exhausted

#425: Mistakenly following right

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