Building Skyscrapers
When I was in school I lived next to a new dormitory construction site. For months on end I saw workers come and go, but there was no growth. One winter morning I woke up and looked out the window and to my surprise I was staring at building! It was as if it went up over night.
After a bit of investigation I learned how skyscrapers were built and it changed my life. (Yes, changed my life)
To build a skyscraper you have to dig down to the bedrock to lay the foundation. In many cases this takes several years to complete. Once the foundation is established and securely fixed to a solid bedrock, the building frame can be assembled.
The life changing element for me was the importance of a good foundation. Good foundations take time.
Everything we do now has to be fast. We start to use words like "efficiency" and "productivity", when we should try to get back to words like "effective" and "legacy".
At one point in our countries history this idea was king. What kind of legacy are we leaving?
If we build bridges, are we are just trying to get from one place to the next? Or are we trying to make sure our great grandchildren could use the same bridge to get their destination?
So let's take a step back and dig down deep.
Let's make sure things are done well. Let's focus on building something that will last, not trendy, and focused more on legacy and less on growth.
Growth will enviably happen once we put some much needed care into our planning.