Many people know I volunteer for the Boy Scouts. I help out at troop meetings, help scouts who are trying to advance in rank, and attend various camping trips to teach outdoors skills and help the newer scouts get used to being outside away from computers, iPods, heat, and the other amenities of modern living. This past weekend, we had our annual Camporee at Trojan Park on the river. It’s the site of the decommissioned Trojan Nuclear Plant, and a lot prettier than anyone expected.
The downside to this weekend was the cold. Most of us planned for “cool” weather – bringing light clothing, windbreakers, and maybe a sweatshirt. Well, it was a lot colder than we expected; temperatures dropped below 40 degrees Saturday night before anyone started going to bed!
There were quite a few scouts running around in the cold in just t-shirts and blue jeans. When I asked where their coats were, responses ran from “in my tent but I’m too lazy to get it” to “I left it at home because it was so hot on Friday.” Needless to say, more than a hand full of scouts forgot the all-important Boy Scout motto, be prepared.
Traditionally, you bring a heavy jacket even if it’s sunny – rain gear even if it’s a cloudless day – sunblock even if it’s snowing – extra clothing even if it’s only a day trip. Scouts are taught to be prepared for any eventuality; most of the time they are. This weekend, many weren’t. But they’ll learn, and next month they’ll be even more ready to face whatever temperatures weather throws at us.
Unfortunately, most Boy Scouts aren’t yet working in the business world, so they can’t readily translate this motto to business best practices. At the same time, it’s a necessary lesson for anyone in the corporate world. You should always be prepared to handle new products, product failures, new competition, legislative changes, and internal schedule shifts. My project manager would call this risk management; I call it planning ahead.
So how prepared are you for the various different foreseeable things that might change with your company? Could you be more prepared than you are today? What other lessons can you learn from an 11-yr old on a camping trip?
