Focusing on Mission and Vision

Recently I watched a driver with a serious problem with perspective.  At first it was quite funny, but after thinking about it for a few minutes I realized that this driver’s problem is often reflected in the business world of our culture.  What happened was really quite simple.  The driver backed out of a parking space, and wanting to turn left, cranked the wheel to the left, and moved forward, only to hit the car parked to the left.  Backing up, with the wheel still cranked to the left, the driver tried again, and hit the car again.  Each time the driver reversed the wheel remained turned full stop to the left.  That was, after all, the direction in which the driver wished to proceed.

In the workplace, in order to first know what to do, and then do our best, means stopping to think.  I’m not talking about disjointed, microsecond bursts between emails or texts, reports or planning, but really thinking.  What I witnessed with that driver was really the fallacy of misplaced precision.  Because the driver did not take the time to stop and think, do some quality reflecting, that driver was caught in the ever-present thick of thin things–majoring on the minor!

Part of our problem is the rapidly accelerating convergence of new technologies, social media, marketplace dynamics, and the lingering effects of the Great Recession.  I remember as a boy going through whitewater on Sugar Creek, the fastest running water in Indiana, my brother and I paddling for all we were worth to avoid rocks, or being swept beneath a low hanging branch and tipped over, and wincing with every bang on the bottom of the canoe.  The business world of which I am a part reminds me of that journey.  Too often I feel like I’m stuck in permanent whitewater.

To some on this whitewater journey problem solving becomes an addiction.  Let’s be honest!  Some personalities are predisposed to “firefighting.”  They love to multitask.  They become addicted to the challenges, excitement, and reassurance of indispensability (“This company can’t get by with me!”) that comes from incessantly solving problems.  What we fail to grasp is that nonstop action will almost certainly lead to performance degradation!  Even worse, when we’re riding the whitewater we miss the real payoff in management.  It isn’t solving problems, but seizing mission and vision opportunities.

Here are some practical steps to begin budgeting time to think, especially about those mission and vision opportunities that are so important.

•  Recognize the need:  If you don’t feel you really need more time for quality reflection,

    it isn’t going to happen!

•  Identify your agenda:  Take the time to assess your situation and identify what you

    need to be thinking about.

•  Weigh the implications:  Every breakthrough is a break with or break out in impact and

    effectiveness or organizational growth and excellence.  You need to carefully weigh

    the implications of focusing limited resources on one area versus another!

•  Put it on your calendar:  If you’re going to go to the effort, make time to think real by

    getting it on your calendar!

•  Find your structure:  For some an hour or two of uninterrupted quality thought is

    sufficient, while for people like me that is woefully inadequate.  You can get creative! 

    Schedule an hour each week, combined with one entire morning or afternoon each

    month, and a full day each quarter!  Experimenting will help you find your sweet spot.

•  Know when you are at your best for thinking clearly and concentrating.

•  Find the right place:  Where I work, trying to get quality uninterrupted time to think is

    like trying to remain calm while you’re under heavy artillery attack!

•  Make it habit:  Don’t underestimate the power of habit!  It takes consistent discipline
    and at least 30 days to establish a habit.