Navigating through a maze – making choices under pressure

You’re having a bad dream.

A walk in the park behind your office, during lunch break. You’re cheerfully chatting with the colleague who walks besides you. You don’t really pay attention to where you’re going. The sun is shining and you enjoy the day. After a while, you notice that something is off. While you were not paying attention, you’ve taken a few wrong turns and you find yourself in a maze. Vaguely known, but everything is just a bit different than usual. The neatly planted flowerbeds have changed into wild brushes of thorny undergrowth. The sun gets obscured by dark clouds.

And then you hear them, barking: a pack of wolves, quickly approaching your dire location. When you look behind you, you realize that not only one, but all of your colleagues have dully followed you into the maze, and are currently expectantly gazing at you to navigate them out of the wolf-infested place.

You have to run. In which direction? Taking a few correct turns will get you out. But taking one wrong turn will get you deeper into the maze. Left or right? The wolves start snapping their fanged jaws at the first colleagues who can’t keep up, they’re screaming for guidance. Take the turn. Now.

How nice would it be if a genie pops up and shows you the way out. Ain’t gonna happen. You remember from one of your previous strolls through the park that a bird tried to sell you a map. You knew the park like the back of your hand, so you’ve ignored the bird. Now you realize it was the map of the maze. You wish you’d bought the map.

Too late. Run. You hear the barking wolves and see they’re dressed in suits and wearing ties. One has a microphone clenched between it jaws, another has an invoice in his mouth. A third has a claim waiver, followed by one with a law suit summoning. Another pack is munching on your carefully planted bed of roses. They’re snapping at your legs – You look around for help, but your colleagues have suddenly gone. You’re on your own now. You run and find the exit. But the park and office have gone. Only the maze and the wolves remain.

Sweating and screaming you wake up. It was just a bad dream, but it reminds you on an unexpected crisis that suddenly can come along. First thing in the morning: Call the bird. Buy the map. Be prepared for your worst nightmare. 

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