When Things Don’t Go Your Way, It Is Critical to Adapt and Change Course

When we took our first steps of the Hike of a Lifetime on the Camino de Santiago, I had the perfect plan in mind as to how our hike would play out over the coming 6 days and 70 miles.   I was inspired and excited to show the men in the group the beauty, cuisine, history, and culture of Spain, all while we dug deep together into our lives, businesses and leadership.

Like most well laid plans, we were thrown some curve balls.  As we ventured through the beautiful, green northwest region of Spain, we faced adversity and challenges such as foot blisters, sore joints, getting caught in torrential rainfall, and even ventured into a small town that happened to be having their biggest party of the year.  The streets were packed with thousands of people soaking each other in wine.  Click here to read last week’s blog about it.

Although these were small challenges and curve balls, they were curve balls nonetheless. Facing them challenged us to adapt, pivot and recreate a game plan. In this week’s blog, I wanted to share a framework on how to adapt and pivot when things don’t go as planned.

Through my many years of business and leadership, and most recent hosting of leadership adventures in Spain, it has become very clear that things do not always go as planned.  Here are the mental steps I process when I/we get thrown a curve ball:

  • 1. First and most important, don’t overreact or get emotionally hijacked. Realize that the current situation or issue being presented is affecting your plans, goals and outcomes. It is very important to state and identify the issue.
  • 2. Identify the severity of the issue and how it will affect the group, people, or intended outcomes you wish to accomplish. Rate it on a level 1-10 in terms of severity and impact.
  • 3. Come up with 2-3 solutions that will solve the issue at hand.
  • 4. Ask for feedback from others involved that may bring value or insight to the discussion, decision and potential outcome.
  • 5. Make your decision and stick with it. Then go and execute.
  • 6. Once you take action, look back and debrief on how this decision and action affected the overall outcome.
  • 7. Always be thankful and appreciate the situation. Look at it as a way to grow, adapt, and continue to lead well in the face of adversity and challenge.

This brings me to the biggest challenge we faced towards the end of the Hike of a Lifetime. After 6 long days of hiking, we finally made it to Santiago.  We closed our time up north with a delicious celebration dinner overlooking the cathedral, and headed back to our hotel.  The next morning was an early one.  We were all booked for a 9 AM flight from Santiago to Madrid that was set to arrive at 10:00 AM.  I was really excited to host a special and meaningful surprise experience for our group once we arrived.  As we approached the ticket counter to check in, one of the desk agents informed us that one of the participants, Greg, would not be getting on this flight, and there were no other flights back to Madrid anytime soon that he would be guaranteed to get on. 

Here is how I applied the above steps:

  • 1. I did my best not to get emotionally hijacked. I could have done a little better, but I finally calmed down enough to pull the group together.
  • 2. The big thing that needed to happen, is we all needed to have our butts in seats in Madrid at 3:00 pm (it was 8:00 am at this point); this was non negotiable.
  • 3. We searched for a couple of solutions, and decided that the best one would be for me to give up my ticket, grab a rental car, and drive back to Madrid with Greg, while the rest of the group flew back to Madrid and made their way to our surprise location.
  • 4. We asked for feedback from the group, getting 100% feedback that this was the best idea.
  • 5. We executed, rented a car and made our way on a long road trip.
  • 6. As we arrived right on time in Madrid, we realized that although the issue had been massively frustrating, the outcome ended up being the same since we all ended up together in Madrid for our amazing surprise event and meal.

Guess what? The best part of this experience was the unplanned 5.5 hour road trip that Greg and I took!  We got to know each other on a deep and meaningful level, which would have not happened in the same way had we all been on the flight together.  This curve ball ended up being a homerun.

As you continue your journey in life, leadership and business, know that things will not always go as planned.  Many times, you will realize there is a bigger plan in the interruption.  Embrace it, address it and move forward with appreciation and thankfulness.

Be sure to click here and download all my free resources for your life, leadership and business journey.

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