What Works: Go with the flow, but steer

This weekend, I was blessed to attend Gaia Gathering — an impactful gathering of healers from all walks of life. I was surrounded by many modalities of healing from a variety of cultures: artists, medicine men and women, yogis, energy healers, and spiritualists. As someone who heals companies and leaders through communication, I felt right at home. The messages rang through loud and clear and you will see many of my a-ha moments translated into my column here.

Inside the private ranch, Rancho Rico, is a small leg of the East Walker River. The river was running fast due to the large amount of snow melt feeding the river’s source. During the river safety briefing, something was said that really resonated with me in my practice of communication.

“Go with the flow, but steer.”

Ideally, when navigating a river, you want to steer to stay in the middle. As you near a curve, centrifugal force will want to throw you into the outer curve. But, when you paddle, you stay more in the middle and can navigate that corner. When the river runs fast, the force is even greater. That kind of sounds like life, doesn’t it? When things are chaotic, you tend to get tossed about a bit.

Here’s how to steer AND go with the flow:

Survey the situation. Look at the situation you are thinking about navigating. Try to take the outsider’s view by asking question versus making assumptions about the situation. You won’t see every angle. But you will be able to collect data and make a go or no-go decision.

Choose to go in, or not. After you survey the situation, you can decide your level of involvement. Knowing I am not a strong swimmer and I didn’t have a paddle. I opted to wade in the river where it was shallow and running a bit slower. Try not to think black or white, this or that, in this situation. Maybe you can run an experiment at this point to see if you are making the right choice. When I felt the slippery bottom and saw some light rapids ahead, I knew I had made the right choice in wading.

Make sure the tools you are using fit the situation. This is where your strategy and implementation tools come in. This could be software, money, team, or skills. In the case of the river it was the quality of the tube, lack of paddle, and light swimming skills. Do a resource planning session around any new project to make sure you have what you need to accomplish the goal.

Communicate with your team and designate roles. If you aren’t going it alone, use your team. Know your team’s strengths before you enter the water of a new project. Communicate the roles each team member will take and get buy in on the project direction.

Understand there are obstacles you may not see. In a river, you have slippery mud, sticks, rocks, and even fish that might frighten you. Life (and business) is the same way. We won’t see everything. It’s our attitude and mindset about the unexpected that keeps us out of panic mode.

Be ok with some bumps and bruises; but learn from them. The expected and unexpected can both leave us with some bumps and bruises. What did you learn from the experience? This is not the opportunity to beat yourself up. Keep ego out of it. This is a time for a post-mortem, without judgement, on what can be done better next time.

How many times has someone told you to go with the flow? For me, it’s been a lot. So I would lay on my figurative back, in life, take action, and just let it come. The problem is the action, steering, had to be intentional. I had to focus on my goal, my desired destination. It could take me somewhere better. Or, it could teach me a lesson. But I had to steer.

Where can you steer just a little better? What tools do you need to succeed? If you need a river guide, I teach leaders how to gain focus by communicating better both inside and outside their companies. What are your thoughts about going with the flow, but steering to the goal? The floor is yours, Carson City.

ABOUT DIANE DYE HANSEN
Diane Dye Hansen has more than 20 years of experience in communication and change management gained in the sectors of government, non-profit, healthcare, publishing, advertising, entertainment, and technology. Her Critical Opportunity Theory helps organizations and leaders turn challenge into opportunity through proper leadership and team communication.

She is the president and founder of What Works Consultants, Inc., a consulting firm which helps business leaders communicate when communication is hard. This is done through research, strategic communication planning, change management consulting, customer success consulting, and training. She is a columnist on CarsonNow.org. To meet her and learn how she and her team can help your company, visit What Works Consultants, Inc. online at www.whatworksconsultants.com.