The Return is in the Turns
I heard a great analogy the other day that really resonated with me in relation to life and in business from Erwin McManus stating that “the return is in the turns”. As we navigate through our lives both at work and at home we have a vision, a path or a direction that we expect things to go in. But this statement also challenged me to reflect and realize that many of the growth opportunities and beauty of life come as that vision of a straight-line is hit with bends and turns causing us to navigate the changes. If you have ever adventured on the Hana Highway in Maui this statement may speak to your directly as fear and anxiety turns into unbelievable scenery just around the bend.
Turns Create Opportunities
It is in the turns that we have to respond to change, challenges, and eventually recognize the opportunities that lie in front of us. Often on the turns we have to decide which direction to go. Do we keep moving forward on the project as we anticipated, or do we need to rethink our thinking and find opportunities to be innovative.
Turns Allow us to be Creative
Moving from the straight path requires us to be creative in our solutions to the challenges that we face. It is often the case when a project turns or shifts that the team can utilize its resources and experience to problem solve and create out of the box solutions. These solutions may even create a more efficient or better outcome for our clients that we never considered.
Turns Open New Possibilities
As your team tackles the turns you may see a new window of opportunity that you never saw before. These possibilities can streamline your business processes, open up new ventures as you identify a gap in the industry or even create opportunities for staff development as every turn is a learning process that should be shared with the team.
Sara Suter,
Vice President, CBSI
