Having grown up in Southern California, I didn’t experience driving on ice until I was nearly 30. In 1992, my wife and I were heading to California from her parent’s house in West Tennessee when we entered an icy area in Oklahoma. I didn’t see anything visible on the ground and was getting frustrated by slow drivers when I saw the van poking along in front of me start to slide. Then, the driver over-corrected and the van went into a full spin and ran into a ditch. I instantly pulled my foot off the gas and slowed down. For the next few hours, only my butt cheeks were more tense than my grip on the steering wheel. I didn’t want to get myself into a situation where I might overcorrect and get into a wreck.
A few years later, I was taking a graduate course where the textbook was Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline. Senge talked about systems thinking using a simulation called The Beer Game. In this example, a new brand of beer gained popularity causing stores to order large amounts. The brewery didn’t have the capacity to fill them, resulting in delays. This caused stores to keep ordering “just in case.” The brewery quickly invested in more space and new equipment. Finally, when the brewery managed to get caught up, customer demand went away, resulting in an oversupply of beer that nobody wanted to drink. It was a good lesson in thinking long term rather than impulsively. In other words, don’t overcorrect!
Since 2020, most of us have had our old routines completely disrupted. Out of frustration, we’ve probably overcorrected. We’ve bought cases of toilet paper and invested in over-priced home gym equipment. We’ve adopted pets thinking we’ll be working remote forever and, in some cases, completely uprooted our families to relocate. In other words, to minimize shortages and quickly adopt to a changing work landscape, we’ve probably made some decisions we’re already regretting. But there is a lesson here. Why not treat your new reality the same way you would handle hitting a patch of black ice?
Step 1: Take your foot off the gas. Will Rogers once said, “when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” If you’re getting frustrated, frightened, or just pissed at the world, it’s the wrong time to make a rash decision.
Step 2: Don’t slam on the brakes. Immediately stopping can create a chain reaction of bad events. To correct a slide, you need your wheels to be spinning. In life, you can’t make positive changes easily from a dead stop. Slow down by combining steps 1 and 2.
Step 3: Turn into the direction of the spin. It seems counterintuitive, but by doing this, all four wheels will be in alignment, preventing a spin. If you’re in a slide in life, facing the issue at least gives you options. Turning away in the opposite direction means you accelerate your challenges. Now you’re probably looking at a whole host of new issues as you go into a full tailspin.
Step 4: Proceed with caution. Now that you’re under control, slowly accelerate and get back on the road. Pay close attention to road conditions. Don’t let yourself wind up in the same situation. The same advice goes for life. Learn your lessons and move on.
We’re nowhere close to being done with the challenges brought on by COVID. If you’re tired of getting stuck in a proverbial ditch, apply the lessons for avoiding a spinout. And, never ever overcorrect!