Making the Most of Challenges (aka Opportunities)

My train was cancelled this week, because there was a cow on the line. Not an everyday occurrence, I’m glad to say. I hope they were able to moo-ve the cow successfully (sorry.).

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It’s got me thinking: how do we respond to setbacks in our lives? In the grand scheme of things, this was a minor inconvenience. It meant that I didn’t get home until midnight, but it could have been a lot worse. (I was able to finish up a draft proposal document while waiting at the station. Every cloud.)

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There’s a concept in military strategy that’s equally applicable to business (and our personal lives, too). I came across it via Stephen Bungay, but it was described by 19th-century Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz. It’s the concept of friction.

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The basic gist (someone can correct me), is that where there are challenges they can be reoriented as opportunities. For example, you’re on a long route march. The mud becomes so deep and sticky that it’s hard to walk. You decide to rest until the ground hardens a little, thereby meaning that you are able to cover the ground more quickly and more well-rested.

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This is similar to an idea I came across in The Start-Up of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha: Plan ABZ. They use this as a career planning tool, but I think it has wider potential implications as well. The idea in brief is this:

-????????? Plan A: You stay doing what you’re currently doing.

-????????? Plan B: You pivot slightly, normally to something aligned to what you are currently doing (e.g., moving to a different role in the same organisation, the same role in a different organisation, etc.).

-????????? Plan Z: You go to your fallback option. If all else fails you can do z.

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The advantage that Plan ABZ has over more detailed, long-term career strategy planning is that it enables some flexibility. Technological and social changes mean that, for most of us, our roles and career trajectories change quite quickly over time.

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I wonder therefore if it might be helpful to analyse some of the risks associated with our careers and skillsets. One way of doing this might be to borrow from corporate strategy and conduct a PESTEL analysis, looking at the risks and opportunities to our skills and career choices under these headings:

-????????? Political

-????????? Economical

-????????? Sociological

-????????? Technological

-????????? Environmental

-????????? Legal

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For me, this week had its challenging moments (cow-induced delays on the train), but it’s also had its positive times. Whatever you are going through, I believe it can all come good in the end.

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Some rambling thoughts here, but I hope some of them might be useful. I’m always ready for a chat if you need.

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Peace,

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Jeff