Movie magic
in 1993 brought us a pack (or is it a flock?) of Brontosaurus frolicking in a meadow and one
nasty T-Rex. But, the true lesson of
the story is a very valuable one – just because you can, doesn’t mean you
should.
Along with this life lesson, the
movie features one of my favorite spoken logic sequences:
“God creates dinosaurs.
God destroys dinosaurs.
God creates man.
Man destroys God.
Man creates dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs eat man.
Woman inherits the earth.”
Could versus Should
Ahhh what a
dilemma. I think most ambitious people
can do whatever they set their minds too.
But, the questions is should
they? Look what happened at Jurassic
Park. Just because scientists found a way to recreate the mesmerizing
prehistoric creatures doesn’t mean they should have created them. You do not
want your unit/department/organization to be eaten up by velociraptors because
you didn’t wonder about the “should”. I
don’t. I always ask myself “should I?”
What are the consequences? What
is the risk? I know I/we can do it… but should we? These examinations of could vs. should can
prevent your extinction.
Don’t Overreact
It’s natural
to want to panic in dire situations. When a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex is staring
straight at you, you’re gonna be scared. But that might end up smashing you… or at
least crashing your confidence. Simply put, overreacting and panicking doesn’t
just get in the way of progress, it ends you. It’s that simple. Staying calm is
the best way to survive. Remember the panicked lawyer? He didn’t know how to
stay calm, and because of that, he got eaten. On a toilet.
I say this
in every blog I write (that is how important that I think it is): “Surround yourself with the right people.”
Plan.
Prepare. Practice. At what point during the planning process, while discussing
having a theme park filled with reptilian killing machines, do you think the
team at Jurassic Park, forgot to discuss who would handle things when the power
goes out? Because the power DOES go out. OH I love critical thinkers. What if? How will
we? If that doesn’t work what next? What is the contingency plan? What is a
different way of doing it?
Control is an illusion
One of my
favorite scenes is when Dr. Ellie Sattler is calmly speaking to Dr. Hammond
about the mess he has created. Hammond isn’t giving up and tries to explain to
Ellie how he thinks he can proceed and get control. Ellie corrects him by
saying, “you never had control –that’s the illusion.”
You cannot
control other people. You can only control your own reaction to them. People are like dinosaurs. Some are passive
and eat plants. Some hunt as packs. Some eat you alive. Some roar real loud.
Focus on self-control not the control of others. That, my friend, is an
illusion.
Sometimes you have to reach into
a big pile of crap to discover the answer
Another
favorite scene is when Ellie reaches into a massive pile of dino-droppings to
uncover the source of an illness. What a great life lesson. There will be
times, many times, when doing something unpleasant will lead to a solution, a
new idea, or a new path. Yes, it’s not nice. It can be downright awful. But
focus on the ultimate result. And, wash
your hands!
As you do
your job and work with your patients, colleagues, boss, peers, and employees,
stop long enough to plan, prepare and practice. This will ensure that you don’t
get caught hanging on an electrical fence when the power comes back on.
Critically think. Ask the important questions especially “should we?” Don’t be
afraid to tackle the not so pleasant stuff. The answer is in there. And, you need the right people in your life
-- like those who can stop dinosaurs from eating you.
And for your viewing pleasure, here is my favorite logic sequence:
No comments:
Post a Comment