Not According to Plan

I’m noticing a trend for short-term thinking and action provoked by the ongoing uncertainty of lockdown. It seems that just as things get moving in Australia we get interrupted again. Maintaining a balance between short-term, pragmatic action and a longer-term view is important. It’s a continuous and conscious balancing act for leaders.

I was leading a group of young people on an expedition canoeing trip during one of the heaviest periods of rain I’ve ever experienced. So heavy was the downpour that bright orange canoes disappeared into the gloom if they were more than 30 metres away. The rain stung bare skin as massive drops pounded down.

I was checking in with each two-person crew when I noticed one young guy shivering violently. His lips were turning blue. He was dressed lightly and suffering. “Put your rain jacket on!” I yelled over the sibilant roar of rain smashing into the water. “I didn’t pack one,” he replied. His logic for not packing a jacket was the sunny weather he experienced last year when he did the same trip. Talk about optimistic long-range weather forecasting!

We needed a solution quickly. Severe hypothermia in our remote location was a significant problem and he was rapidly heading down that road. I grabbed a large garbage bag, cut rough holes for his arms and neck and he pulled it over his head. Instantly warmer!

It's a great example of a quick, rough pragmatic approach. But long-term reliance on garbage bags for warmth and water proofing wouldn’t be wise.

In what areas of your business and life are you currently operating with a short-term pragmatic view? Is it necessary, or have you become reactively ‘stuck’ there? In what ways could you expand your horizon to a more strategic view?