If in Doubt...
"If in doubt, run it out" applies to organisations in crisis too!
Occasionally we find ourselves facing a daunting challenge that forces us into uncharted territory and we are immobilised by apprehension. The established wisdom of “if in doubt, run it out” is as relevant to an organisation in crisis as it is to climbing.
In traditional ("trad") climbing, you place and clip into protection (e.g. bits of metal placed into the rock) with your rope - if you fall, then well-placed protection should prevent a ground-fall.
Occasionally, the climber will find themselves facing a long stretch of rock, with little option for protection (a “runout”) - the climber can either:
Press onwards, without protection;
Expend energy panicking, and then either end up attempting (1), or fall off due to fatigue. (Safe retreat may not be an option due to the same lack of protection to downclimb.)
The adage “if in doubt, run it out” holds some logic: when climbing, energy not spent progressing is energy wasted. No amount of panicking or wishful thinking will magic up protection when there is none - one needs to face the challenge, sooner or later.
The world of strategy and change share some similarities to climbing - it is infeasible to fully anticipate all risks and challenges1. A good leader must be able to progress past risks ("running it out") when required to do so.
A climbing allegory
Imagine if you have been tasked with climbing an industrial chimney. A route has been set up on the chimney, so it is objectively safe. However, if you are not a seasoned climber, you would understandably be apprehensive.
You hire an climbing guide to help you with the journey - one who has been up the route many times before. You explain that you understand the theory of the climbing and rope techniques from reading books; you even may have purchased the required rope and harness that others have recommended. However, each time you approach the chimney, you are paralysed with fear.
This situation is not dissimilar to Clients facing organisational change: the Client knows the task ahead is daunting, and although in theory safe, in practice is full of unknowns. In theory, organisational change is easy: (1) identify what is wrong, (2) evaluate options, and (3) action and repeat; in the same way that climbing the chimney would be easy: (1) move feet, (2) move arms, and (3) clip into protection and repeat.
Purpose as the key to action
Similar to runouts, change will entail irreducible, unmitigable risk. In such situations, hearing the same advice from the guide may not inspire confidence beyond a certain point.
Client: I'm still apprehensive about this chimney - it seems high.
Guide: No worries, climbing is simple! Move your feet, then arms, and repeat until you get to the top!
Client: I get that...
Guide: There is no need to worry - remember: feet, hands, clip and repeat!
At this point and from experience, those of an engineering mindset will typically request more detail:
Client: So how safe are carabiners?
Guide: Sure - everything is rated2 to 20kN, and typical climbing falls only generate 4kN. To be honest you would break your spine, or the bolt attached to the chimney before breaking a carabiner or rope. This is all in tolerance.
Some Clients may also ask for market comparisons:
Client: So who else has done this? Do you have examples of our competitors who have tried this?
Guide: Sure - John, Jessie and Jane have all tried this. Jane managed to get to the top.
The point is that the above can only help to a limited degree, and does not always address the crux of the matter - the irrational fear. We do things that could have grave consequences every day; we cross busy roads and drive cars on motorways without being immobilised by fear. For those who are afraid of heights, the fear is not grounded in logic and therefore cannot be effectively be dispelled by logic.
I actually believe irrational fear cannot be completely dispelled via any means. The best one can do is to find compelling reasons to accept the irrational fear. It will not be be easy, but at least there is a slim chance that one might be inspired to go full out and maximise the chance of progressing onwards.
The best climbers are not fearless - they are the ones who find purpose to manage their fear. Purpose does not make the fear disappear, and this is a good thing; fear can help us focus, and drives us to do our best.
Touching the Void
In a moment of crisis, the only wrong decision is indecision.
Joe Simpson3: You gotta make decisions. You gotta keep making decisions, even if they're wrong decisions, you know. If you don't make decisions, you're stuffed.
Every moment spent deliberating is an opportunity lost forever; every conversation that does not progress the challenge is wasted energy. Very rarely do problems resolve on their own - unaddressed they often get worse, and the situation becomes more dire.
Knowledge, expertise, competitive positioning are all perishable goods4:
What you know about your industry is worth less right now than it was when you began reading this…
To those who are facing this now, seek an expert who can help you uncover and crystallise your purpose, as well as provide advice on theory and techniques.
As with many things, "mental state” is material. If you approach a challenge with apprehension and act indecisively, you risk tiring yourself and dramatically diminish your chances of success. The greatest gift in a crisis is one that helps you discover your purpose - reasons for taking on the challenge and enabling you to go full out - however this purpose cannot be provided to you, it can only be discovered by yourself.
The saying “strategy is not a plan” comes to mind, or as Mike Tyson eloquently puts it: “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.
ANSI Standards for Carabiners. DMM Climbing. https://dmmprofessional.com/Knowledge/December-2012/ANSI-standards-for-carabiners
p.60. Hamel, Gary, and C. K. Prahalad. Competing for the Future: Breakthrough Strategies for Seizing Control of Your Industry and Creating the Markets of Tomorrow. 1st ed. Harvard Business Review Press, 1994. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=SE2v2aSo1jQC.
Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash