Seven Management Lessons from a Late Half-Marathon

It’s comedy of errors in life. We learn from where we expect the least. It was 01 Sep 2019 and I had signed up for 21.1 HM in 7th Dwarka HM and Charity Run. I was looking to get back to organized runs after a four months off-season break. A perfect pre-run routine of light food, tying up with friends, kit preparation and early sleep preceded the run day.

Punctuality has been my hallmark for whole of my life. However, I was in for a big surprise. A morning phone call woke me up from slumber to know that my running partners were waiting at start line waiting for the flag off of the run. It took me 20 minutes from then on to cross the start line. Yes, that’s a kind of record. Obviously the start point being next to my home did help.

Now, if someone does n’t know, distance runners are different breed. Running changes their perspective because of many reasons. One of the reason is the “meditation”. The solitude during runs makes the mind go thinking.  Running on your own at a rhythm, with all sorts of thoughts and plans, indeed changes something inside.

After a short distance, when I had stopped kicking myself for being late, the “meditator” and “planner” in me was at work. I realized that I learnt very important management lessons because of the sequence of events. Let me enumerate them.

#1.     Don’t be Discouraged by Late Entry. Inspite of all plans the night before, the start of the run was far from ideal. I was late at start line with no running partners. In business, there is no ideal time to launch. Go ahead with business even if you are late in competition. There is no such thing as “perfect timing”. Infact, I was cheered as leader of next distance group (15k flag off).

#2.     Know Your Competition. There were fit looking runners whom I crossed with a breeze. Then there were unfit looking, aged, short/tall, improper gear wearing runners who gave me hard time. You don’t know where your competition is going to come from. The fancy appearing business may be hollow inside and the unassuming types may have strong fundamentals.

#3.  Going Concern. There were runners who crossed me giving those looks of superiority. They were found catching breath after a short-while. In business, don’t get perturbed by the short-term volatility. There is a going concern till perpetuity. Only steady business will survive.

#4.     Survive the Environment.  The weather was harsh with extreme humidity and heat. The late start was not helped by the environmental conditions. Once business takes off, be ready to survive in the harsh environment (competition/policies etc).

#5.     Don’t Bank on Futuristic Expectations.   The weather appeared to be giving way to breeze and rain. It did happen but after the end of the race. Don’t plan on futuristic ease of norms/policies/competition. It may happen but may not be in time to save the business.

#6.     Competition is not Fair.      The gender bias was visible. Most of the female runners were in jeggings while the male runners enjoyed running in shorts in the punishing weather. The competition is always not fair.

#7.     Spend to Invest.      I lost half a minute at each hydration station. The energy from hydration kept me going and I easily covered up the lost time. In business, spend to invest in right areas like marketing/branding/product awareness etc. All expenditures are not losses.

A good run in the end with many lessons.