For much of my career in business and technology, I refused to move without a detailed road map. I wanted someone or something to show me what to do next.
As a technical program manager, I wanted specific business requirements before developing a new solution. As a new consultant, I wanted each contract to clearly specify my scope of work so that all parties would know what I would and would not do.
I was unwilling to go out on a limb and design new maps to meet needs and solve problems. If something went wrong, I wanted a "map" to blame. Like so many mistakes, this one came out of fear of failure.
To work without a map requires courage, creativity, and customer empathy. We're all able to work this way, but seldom willing. Those who do are the most valuable and have the most fun.
Postscript: As a new father, for whatever reason, I never felt the need for a map like I did at work. I knew I was incompetent, but was OK with making it up as I went. I knew character, authenticity, and adaptability were more important than a map.
How about you? Where do you need a map? Where have you learned to draw your own?
Life maps are great. Though you cannot foresee it all, it is good to plan for as much as you can see.
Thanks for sharing Kevin.
Posted by: Nick Connolly | 02/15/2010 at 10:23 AM
Thanks Nick - great point of clarification: I think life maps are good because YOU design the map to live with purpose. The mistake I call out in this post is needing someone else to draw give you a map.
- Kevin
Posted by: Kevin Mackey | 02/16/2010 at 10:59 PM
Experience is not interesting till it begins to repeat itself, in fact, till it does that, it hardly is experience.
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