I just read a story. Its about a top executive who excels at everything she does.
Her latest success was to learn to fly and so she invites my friend to go on a flight.
He arrives to see her starting to do all the preflight checks on the aircraft.
Its on the tarmac and has a couple of ropes holding the wings down, in its park position.
They get inside, she goes down the check list, lights flash, total efficiency reigns, the tower is called, flight plan lodged, and the engines started.
She revving up, and they are ready to go.
He's thinking 'what about the ropes?' - silly him, there must be a special release, a safety feature he doesn't know about - she must have it sorted, she is so successful.... and they continue gaining power, she looks intently forward, but they are going no where!
What about the ropes?
This modern parable is funny but pretty near the mark. What is holding you back?
Many of us have more than we need to make a difference- Probably years of training and education - mobility, health and ways to communicate that cross the globe in seconds. But we constantly achieve little thats remarkable (even though we want too)
We can blame the boss, the organisation, the fiancees or the weather but how about looking at ourselves and our thinking?
I'd suggest two areas to examine ourselves on:
Firstly - just doing it IS doing it. We can spend hours planning, processing, trying to make perfect and thinkings about it all in meetings.
Often with the result that someone else does it before us. We have to DO IT.
So start writing, start making phone calls, make connections, start delegating etc.
A colleague of mine has a great saying: Bad plans carried out violently many times yield good results. Do something (Chuck Blakeman)
Secondly - you might need to go beyond yourself! Often in coaching I notice the extremes clients go to, to avoid having to think differently. Its painful as you see them justify their position. Their mode of thinking and pour cold water on a suggestion of working by synthesis or abstracts or (Oh! my goodness) feelings. Often the more successful they are, the worse they are in changing. And yet anything new will be in places they haven't been. These areas are likely to lead to the greatest value. Create the most change and value.
So we have a choice - find the ropes and cut them to create new life, or carry on revving up the engines but actually standing still.
S
