It was a warm January night in Melbourne. The police night shift had just begun. Muffled calls on the radio announced urgent assistance was needed in a nearby suburb.
I switched on the lights and sirens of the police car. We headed off, but didn’t make it. The collision that followed taught me a vital lesson. Is it really about the destination? Or should we focus more on the journey?
Paying Attention to the Journey
I didn’t pay close enough attention to my surroundings. Maybe I should have noticed the sand on the freshly resurfaced road, making braking difficult. Perhaps I should have reflected on the fact that my colleague and I only had 13 months of collective experience.
I should have considered the truck driver might not have looked over his shoulder when turning. Or thought about how the diesel engine could drown out the sirens.
Applying This Lesson to Business
In business, this story translates into understanding your surroundings and capabilities before chasing a goal. If you assess your strengths, those of your team, and your environment, you’ll increase your chances of avoiding obstacles and seizing opportunities.
Here are some ways to stay focused on the journey:
- Ask yourself why you’re doing this.
- Check if other information in the organisation could help make sense of the current situation.
- Consider whether your actions could affect other activities.
Balance Destination and Reassessment
Fixating on the destination can prevent reassessment. This can be risky. It’s important to drive towards your goal but also to know when to pause—before something forces you to stop. Remember keep asking yourself – is it really about the destination?
Final Note
To have some level of control over your surroundings and where you are heading consider implementing a management discipline. Consider EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) for your business.
No fatalities occurred in the collision.
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