Tales from the Trails of Tucson
Well, we had the first ever 911 moment on the trail in Tucson this past week. My wife and I hit the trails for some hiking along with two of her siblings and SO’s. This being the start of a pastoral sabbatical for one of the bros, there may have been a push for extra adrenaline.
Blessed with perfect weather, it never ceases to amaze me the perspectives, simplicities, and nuances that one can find on the trail. This year I settled on three learnings:
1. There is beauty in simplicity.
Just like the breakfast table negotiations about which trail to do or not do for the multitude of reasons that 6 strong-minded people can offer, what matters is getting out there and getting going.
When you live in “Minnesnowta”, grabbing some water & trail mix, lacing up the hiking shoes and getting out into 75 degree sunshine is what matters when in Tucson.
When you’re a claim leader solving a problem, use speed and efficiency to obtain objective information about what’s working or not working. Incorporate necessary changes. Rinse. Repeat.
2. For the long haul, smaller steps produce as much – if not more – than large steps.
There is no doubt that on the trail, large steps cover a lot more territory than small ones.
But, large steps also produce a lot more risk of muscle pulls, muscle fatigue, or slips.
Few large steps will not get you there faster than many small steps. Prove me wrong on this.
For claim leaders, I have found that it is the lack of objective information about a problem that contributes to the belief that a bigger step is needed than may actually be the case. Isolating the scope or breadth of a problem is key to assessing the smaller, quicker, safer steps needed for resolution.
3. If you’re too focused on the trail, you’ll miss the big picture.
On the trail, getting too focused on the trail is a typical behavior: small step or big step, go left or go right, hustle to catch up or slow down to help those struggling. And, just like that, you missed something beautiful.
Claim leaders are frequently overwhelmed with data and reports for reasons that are well documented. I believe the solution for leaders is ironically similar to the hiker:
look up and engage with the people around you.
Yes, data matters and high quality data should tell the story. But stories that hold together have to be rooted in collective viewpoints seen through the eyes of multiple stakeholders rather than an isolated view.
As for that 911 call, one of the hikers in our party who shall remain unidentified slipped on a fairly raw trail and crashed into the river. After initially diagnosing that no bones had been displaced and this was only a matter of flesh wounds, there was a sudden realization that a 911 call had been automatically initiated.
Fortunately, the call was cancelled before any helicopter rescues had been initiated.
I am grateful for the time in Tucson.
