Well, that was a weekend and a half. TLDR – storms x tummy bugs. Anyway, as I write this I’m sat at Cambridge North station waiting on another (soon-to-be-cancelled) train, so may as well write this up.
Idea came as I was sat in slow motorway traffic yesterday, with most of the family asleep, and my beautiful one-year-old grumbling (teething, so screaming) away.
Bit light-hearted, this one – go with me.
Five ways your strategy should be like motorway driving
You’ve got to get up to speed to join in
Take time to get your strategy right, build up your speed gently but steadily, and then get involved in the mix.
Don’t jump the gun and pull out until you’re really ready - in the right gear, checking before you pull out into the traffic/marketplace.
And for goodness sake look behind you. You could be pulling out / launching / doing the same thing as someone else!
Indicate, FFS
I mean, obvious, right? That little switch next to the wheel?!
It gives other people around you - customer, clients, colleagues, stakeholders, investors - the idea of what you’re doing. An indication of your ‘direction of travel’, and an important step in showing how you will act. I.e with an indication (courteous, kind, thoughtful) or without (not).
Clean your windows
Otherwise you can’t see where you’re going. A clear, unobstructed view is important to make decisions.
Don’t be distracted
Using your phone is illegal and dangerous. At worst, you risk the lives (livelihoods) of all the people in your vehicle (organisation), at ‘best’ you worry people who think you’re not in control, or scare them with erratic moves. Stay focused.
Go with the flow
(QOTSA, anyone?) It’s not always about being the fastest, overtaking or hogging a lane. Move around, find where you’re comfortable, let others ‘pass by’ and concentrate on being you.
Sometimes you’ll need your energy and focus to act quickly (an opportunity or a crisis situation), and sometimes you need thinking time - cruising along before making the next big decision; should I stay on here or turn off?
There are other roads you know…
Let me know what you think and whether you have any other cheesy/crass/cracking car analogies.
I’m looking at a few of you pun-heads, in particular…
Ad 🚗 (writing this on a 🚊 that is hopefully going to London)