While many things are still up in the air, it was nice to have the normalcy of the Olympics back this summer. There's something so inspiring about seeing the world come together to celebrate the skill and power of humans when there is so much negativity saturated in the public realm.
I'm a fan of many different sports, but I noticed something about the hurdles. Hurdling is a track sport where participants jump over obstacles while they are running. These obstacles are challenging but can be overcome with practice, training and dedication. In the course of the race, you'll see that the runner doesn't always clear the hurdle, letting it topple to the side. The runner doesn't stop to see what fell down. It doesn't matter. They keep moving forward to get to the finish line because that is their goal. Once they have completed the race, they can look back at the footage to understand what they hit and why. No one stops in the middle of the race to look back and ask what went wrong. If they focus on that, they won't be paying attention to the next hurdle in front of them. To win, the runner must have their eyes and attention forward.
That's when I realized what a good metaphor hurdles are for management. If you aren't paying attention to what is in front of you, you will fail. When you're knee-deep in a project, you can't keep looking back to see where you messed up. The fate of a project depends on your ability to look forward. You can't do that if you're looking back. There's a time and a place for a post-mortem on your work, but you need time and space from the actions to evaluate them objectively. You can't learn from mistakes that still feel painful. Keep your focus on the next steps until you hit the finish line.
Keeping distance in mind is especially important when working on a project with a long time frame. I was speaking with a colleague about a deal that I'm working on. He asked me if this was going to be a 100 or 400-meter hurdle. I told him that, unfortunately, this is a marathon, with one hurdle every 6 feet for 26 miles. When you are grinding for long periods, focus on the result. Otherwise, you will burn out before you reach it.
This is not to say that you shouldn't stop if there is a significant problem. Athletes know that if they continue running on a fresh injury, they will cause worse and possibly permanent damage to their bodies. Simone Biles withdrew from the uneven bars and vault competition when she realized that she was having trouble determining which direction her head was facing while tumbling. It was not a popular choice, but it allowed her to win a bronze medal on the balance beam the following week.
There are some times when the best thing to do is to stop. The popular idiom "Winners never quit" is excellent for a fortune cookie but not realistic or ideal in the trenches. If you have a situation that will cause significant and lasting harm to your business if it's not addressed, you must stop and handle it. People may not appreciate or understand your choices, but it's your responsibility to ensure your company's health, both present and future.
The Olympics are a celebration of the best of humanity and hold many lessons for all of us if we're willing to look. You and your organization will face many hurdles in the course of a new project or initiative. Keep your forward momentum instead of looking back to analyze every little mistake made and know when you need to stop. I'll be watching and cheering you on from the stands.
August 27, 2024
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