The Storm vs. The Port

The Storm vs. The Port

When I drop off my kids at school, I leave them with a saying that has become my mantra. And depending on how late we are, sometimes I say this mantra. Sometimes, I yell it. (Saying it is for when we're on time. Yelling it is for when we're late.)

I say, "Help somebody! And help your teacher!"  

My rationale for my kids is this: If I tell them to stay out of trouble, it doesn't give them a destination. Helping someone gives them some kind of goal to pursue. (And, like you, my kids always do what I say. Always.)

When we're releasing kids into the great big sea of the world, we can lead them toward two different and wildly varying goals. If we're simply directing them to set sail but avoid storms, it sounds good but it won't work. If the goal is to avoid storms, then they're sailing to nowhere, and success is staying out of trouble.  

When we lead our teams, sometimes it's tempting to direct them to simply avoid storms. Because we know that storms are bad. Duh.  

Hedge. Fly under the radar. Safety first. Stay close to the shore. Stay out of trouble. Don't land yourself in the principal's office. Don't get caught cheating. Don't make bad grades. Keep your nose clean. Steer clear of detention. Don't get in fights. And, above all else, avoid storms.

But there is a better way and we all know what it is. What if we directed our teams to destinations? What if we looked at the map and set our navigation systems toward one specific port?

What good thing do you need to do at work or at home today? Many business authors have articulated it in different ways: 

-What is your most important next step? 

-Your wildly important goal? 

-Your one thing?   

Don't rock the boat vs. Navigate toward good 

These two goals are wildly different.  

And we can think of the idea of the destination in terms of energy. Treading water appears safe but is very difficult and energy expensive. However, moving toward a goal is easier. Even if I lay on my back and slowly move, it's not too tough. And momentum begets momentum.  

Conversely, if your goal is to avoid storms, you don't ever build up momentum in the task of neverending storm evasion.  

Today is a great day to prioritize the port over the storm. Virtually every time you set a "Where?", you can find a way through the storm. Don't be afraid of the storm. Be afraid of not going anywhere. Be afraid of missing the destination.