I just returned from a five day vacation, visiting both Banff and Calgary, Canada with my wife. Our trip just happened to coincide with the wettest and coldest few days that this region has had since early May.
If you’ve ever seen pictures of Banff, you’ve caught a glimpse of some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. We knew it was there, somewhere...but saw none of it during our first two days. We humorously kept repeating, “I bet this sure is gorgeous”… or… “Wow, can you imagine how beautiful this is?”
Not all was lost those first two days. I became an expert in converting Celsius to Farenheit, a skill most baristas and mountain guides have down pat (Double the Celsius and add 25...so 12 degrees Celsius is 12x2 = 24, plus 25 = 49 degrees Farenheit). Yes, our summer vacation, where thongs (foot thongs not the other) were packed and sunscreen in hand, quickly changed to, “What can we see inside?”
On the morning of day three we were actually considering getting in our rental car and driving four hours to what appeared to be sun on the weather channel. We casually mentioned this to a clerk at the local grocery store who urged us not to lose hope. She said, “They never know what’s going to happen in the mountains. Just stick it out, you may be surprised!”
So, feeling bold, we scheduled a climb into the Alpine Lakes area of “Sunshine (that’s right Sunshine) Ski Resort,” ready for any kind of weather the mountains threw at us.
Eventually, the weather mercifully cleared, and the temperature climbed to 23 degrees Celsius (you do the math). When it did clear, we were standing at the continental divide, near Alpine Lakes, with miles of spectacular views.
So, what did I learn? I’m constantly learning to be patient... For me this was just another lesson in the importance of the payoff of patience. Had we driven that day to find “better weather,” we would not only have wasted valuable time chasing an unclear goal, but would also have missed out on one of highlights of the journey.
In managing people, you must have convictions about persistence, tenacity, and patience. Without valuing these traits, you won’t be able to bring out the best in the talent that’s been entrusted to you. As a company, do you spend too much time chasing things that don’t pay off, or do you stick to executing a plan?
The clouds will clear eventually...
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