Sitting behind the controls of a plane for the first time is humbling and scary. What worked to get you to this seat won’t work now you’re here. Relying on confidence and sureness of foot won’t fly when there’s no ground beneath your feet.
Out of your comfort zone, unusual environments make you slow down, ask questions and pay attention. You have a beginners mind; wide open.
Nearer to ground, familiar surroundings can fool us into flying blind.
The situation may look familiar – sitting across the table, talking terms – but the world may have shifted and the rules may have changed.
On autopilot, ignoring the instruments and relying on you standard MO – like background knowledge, inside language and acronyms, taking control, the principle of partnership and action orientation – you may just miss the changing weather.
Pull back. Look around. Check your instruments. Change your perspective. Make sure you know where you are – even when you think you’ve been here before.
What are you going to do?
Even when you know the route:
- slow down
- ask questions
- pay attention.