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THE ROCK

As Long as Your Goal Doesn’t Change and They Use the Tools

You Give Them—Who Cares How they Get There??

In another lifetime—and I don’t mean a “Shirley MacLean” other lifetime—I was a manufacturer’s representative. One year, the powers-that-be of the company I represented, decided to get creative. Instead of bringing all of the territory managers to the factory to see the new line of goods, they decided to subject us all to an Outward Bound experience.

For those of you unfamiliar with this, Outward Bound has numerous locations and offers a leadership/team building experience based around a certain activity depending on where in the world it is located. The Outward Bound program in which we participated, was based in Leadville, Colorado, and was centered around rock climbing.

Please understand that, in my lifetime, I never had any ambition to climb a ladder for fun, never mind a large rock! But it was one of those things where the company said “be there” and you had better show. For the first five and one-half hours on the first day, they took us out and positioned the first four of us at the base of a sheer ninety foot rock face and proclaimed, “You are going to climb to the top”.

This may not sound like a lot of rock to some of you, but just imagine nine stories of jagged rock rising straight above you. I needed more of an incentive than some guy just telling me to climb the rock…so I made one up!

I turned to Craig on my left and challenged him. “I’ll bet you twenty-five dollars I can get to the top first”, I proclaimed. Craig didn’t hesitate. “You’re on”, he said confidently. I hadn’t even considered my other two colleagues on my other side, but they chimed in that they were in the race as well. Now it was nine stories of rock worth a hundred dollars! I had my incentive.

Each one of us had an individual guide from Outward Bound. I will never forget Joe, my rock climbing mentor, because, at that point Joe whispered in my ear; “For fifty bucks, I’ll get you there first”! I guessed that this was the teambuilding that they referred to in the brochures! I shook on it.

Joe took me aside and explained in a whispered tone, “Don’t let the others hear. Do you see that rock sticking out at about two and a half feet?” I nodded. “When you start, stick your right foot on that ledge and boost yourself up. Next, see that rock, right here at eye level? Grab that rock with your right hand and pull yourself up. The secret to winning, Jeff, is that branch without any leaves on it, at about twelve feet. Grab that branch with your left hand and pull yourself up. It will hold your weight—I’ve done this a thousand times before.” And, so went the verbal tour up the rest of the rock face.

Someone yelled “GO!” I stepped on the rock with my right foot. I pulled myself up with my right hand. I reached out for that naked twig and couldn’t reach it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t reach it. At that point, my new partner yelled at me, “Grab the stupid branch”. Straining, I replied, “Joe, I can’t…….I’m going to die!”

Please understand that I was only two and one half feet off the ground. I had one foot still on the ground. But, I was going to die!

As I was reaching for that branch, I found a rock sticking out at about ten feet that was easier to seize. As I tested it, I found that it would hold my weight, so I pulled myself up. As I did, Joe yelled at me again. “No. No. No. That’s not right.” Through clenched teeth, I retorted, “It’s right for me, Joe”.

He yelled at me the entire way up the face of that rock. Did I make it to the top? Absolutely! Did I win? Absolutely not! I am still bitter about that.

What does this experience have to do with creativity-in-business? Everything!

I learned a very valuable lesson while clinging to that rock and being harangued by Joe. As long as I had the knowledge I needed, as long as I used the tools he gave me (ie. the belays—the ropes), and as long as the goal (getting to the top of the rock) didn’t change, WHO CARES HOW I GET THERE?

So many companies with whom I have worked, feel it necessary to micro manage every project. If they would simply educate their team, give them a clear understanding of the goals and present them with the right tools, WHO CARES HOW THEY GET THERE?

I encourage you to listen to your environment for whispers of opportunity. Your clients, internal and external, are telling you the second right answer to reaching your goals, if you would just listen!