Shifting Sands

Making a decision requires stable footing. Sometimes the footing is not ideal; it squishes, shifts, rocks and teeters. Shifting stance, may find more stability. At least enough to make another move to a more stable place. It may take some movement to find a steppingstone sturdy enough to consider future options.

In planning, we do this often. We are dealing with some knowns and a lot of unknowns. Like life. We move forward bit by bit testing our surroundings and finding more certain footing. The same is true in organizations. Whether for business, community, family or government, all organizations struggle with identifying who they are, why they exist, and what is their mission. These questions are structural. They are important. Upon each one we build the next question. And so on until we have a clear view of our purpose.

A similar struggle ensues to define our scale and long-term dream. Just how large will our operation become? Fifteen years from now, how will we be perceived? What will we be known for? And how will we manage to get there?

Big questions. All rely on solid thinking, making short term decisions and conclusions so we can move on to the next step, the next question, and the subsequent actions which, when taken together over time, will produce the desired outcome.

Back to the shifting sands. Very little of what we do in this moment is stable or forever. It is what it is in this moment. It may change, most likely will change, in the next moment or hour. We do what we have to do now. We make decisions based on judgments because we have imperfect knowledge. It takes faith and resolve to keep moving forward.

This is how we adapt to the reality around us. We make the best of things. We hope we are doing the right thing and keep at it. The outcome is worth it. But only if we focus on what that should be. How well do we define the hoped for outcome? Is it worth all this struggle and shifting around?

That work is often done in group. Working together with several minds provides perspective and creative ideas. Minds competing with other minds expands thinking and conclusions. The group is able to create a conceptual framework that supports a larger purpose and scale. It creates steppingstones of logic. In turn those become an intricate structure to use to construct a desired future.

Without the thinking, without the struggle, without the group work, not much gets done. An organization does not exist because of one person. It does not exist for that one person. No; it is a construct of many to serve a larger public.

Shifting sands are frustrating to work with. But they create the ability to work through it. Muscles are toned to do this work. The grit of life demands this of us.

April 13, 2022

 

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