What happens when your infrastructure takes a knock?
When you find that something fundamental to you, something that you rely on without really thinking too much about it is suddenly not available any more.
The first thing that happens is that you suddenly realise that you have been taking your infrastructure for granted.
Then you realise how important a properly functioning infrastructure actually is.
Then you struggle, and you look for alternatives, different ways to cope and muddle through.
In my case, the particular infrastructure in question is my left ankle which I foolishly managed to break in a DIY accident. I’m now discovering that it’s impossible even to carry a cup when you have one good foot and two crutches. Impossible if you were until very recently complacently using two feet to balance and walk about on of course.
This experience has taught and is continuing to teach me lessons.
Firstly, don’t embark on DIY projects lightly, they can lead to accidents. The advice from the radiologist who x-rayed me was simple “avoid DIY & sport”.
The second is that, you can find interesting parallels with business in the most unusual of circumstances.
So what are the interesting parallels?
Complacency. How often do we do things out of habit without even occasionally stopping to have a look and a think if there is a better way? When we have idle time in which to ponder, possibly. When someone draws something to our attention, probably. When we are stopped in our tracks definitely.
How much do we rely on stuff that we actually take for granted, assume it will always be there, or more likely don’t even think about it enough the consider that it may not be? When we do a formal business continuity exercise or review. When something forces us into “what if” scenarios. When we do that and think practically about what really keeps the wheels turning it’s surprising how little it might take to put us in trouble.
What about the positives? Think about the opportunities that we actually may reveal and explore if we manage to take the time to think in an intelligently curious way. Think about the affects that we can have by influencing and changing small seemingly insignificant things. I like to call these small things Trojan Mice.
You can see your damaged infrastructure as a curse, and a big obstacle. You can also see it as a chance to reflect on what is important and on how you might do things differently, and possibly better.
‘That’s what I’ll be doing for the next six weeks, as well as finding someone else to take over my DIY duties.’
