Have you ever started a project and felt that you may be in over your head? I know I have. Honesty is still the best policy, but there have been times when backing-out was not an option. I was determined to succeed, AND do it well. Not to mention learn huge lessons along the way. I want to share a story – and lesson – I heard from a fire chief who instructed a class years ago. He responded to a rescue incident where a man was trapped by a partial cave-in. When he arrived on-scene he realized he didn’t have the proper equipment, or know-how, to mitigate the crisis. This accident was a funky one. With many on-lookers, spectators, and family adding to the hysteria, the last thing this chief was going to do was to admit he didn’t have a solution. Doing this would send the scene into chaos, and upset the victim – not good. So, he stalls. He calls for back-up. In the meantime, he re-assures the victim that they have it under control and proceeds with “The Plan.” He orders firefighters to remove EVERY tool from the truck and begin to place them about the scene. And do this in a way that demonstrates direction, purpose, and confidence. “We don’t know what to do, but we’re going to look like we know what we are doing.” The public didn’t know the plan, the victim felt confident that they were setting-up for his rescue, uncertainty was kept in-check. Finally, additional equipment (errrr….solutions) arrived and the ending was a happy one. I realize that our trade is not synonomous to life and death situations, but there are some similarities in principle. Any thoughts?
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No, no thoughts at all, but I sure have a big pile of tools here in what I thought was an office space!! But then I get in over my head so often I just figure it is normal operarions for me. Time and tools will eventually fix everything that can be fixed, and time alone will fix everything else one way or the other.
Dan When is to much of something, not nearly enough!!
Sounds like you just described the way our government is reacting to the post 911 terrorist threat.