Dan was still standing on a flood-lit stage in front of several hundred people, standing behind ‘his’ half-size toy basketball goal.
In fairness, this little exercise, facilitated by Eliza Fawsson renowned author and speaker, must have been entertaining for the crowd. That is, for the conference delegates who didn’t send in a pre-session question and who weren’t unlucky enough to be pulled up onto the stage as a result.
But Dan, newly appointed captain of the one-person Dan Dynamics basketball franchise, wasn’t so lucky.
His ostensible nemesis and upstart competitor, Maria - newly appointed captain of the one-person Maria’s Marauders basketball franchise - had been granted an unfair advantage. In the name of education, entertainment, and the advancement of civilisation. Blah, blah, blah.
Perspiration was forming on Dan’s brow due to the high stakes game or, at least, due to the blazing heat from the stage lighting. And Eliza Fawsson had handed the ball to Maria implying that her shot, aka slam dunk, would be the end of the game with Dan having no recourse. Maria was within arm’s reach of Dan’s basketball hoop and, if this was a movie, time would have slowed as she swung her ball-holding hand down towards the net.
Our would-be movie reverts to real time at this point, or perhaps double speed.
Without thinking, Dan whipped his lightweight goal around behind his back. Maria, realising that something was changing but not quickly enough to respond, released the ball downwards through the point where the hoop once was. It bounced on the floor and away.
The crowd laughed and cheered.
‘And bzzzt, that’s time!’, announced Eliza, to which some in the crowd (presumably Marauders fans) called out, ‘Noooooo!!!.
‘Come back next year for the rematch.’ She grinned at her two volunteer competitors, ‘Please thank Maria and Dan for me.’
Dan returned to his seat, head spinning. He almost missed Eliza’s summary.
‘Forgive my clumsy visual demonstration’, began Eliza, preparing to land her opening point.
‘There are so many things to look at in our organisations. The world, the market, the competition, and those darn goal posts seem to be constantly moving. Surprisingly perhaps, Dan was looking at you. Perhaps we could call that the world, or the market. Maria was looking at Dan.
It’s often the case that we don’t see, or don’t esteem, what’s right in front of us. Our organisations are each holding a goalpost. And guess what? We can move it if we want to. Perhaps that’s too simple. We can move a goalpost IF the conditions are right in our organisation.
Well done to Dan – he realised that he was holding a goal post. Instead of trying to block his rival, copy his rival or just give up. He simply moved his goal post.
It’s often the quickest, most low-cost, and long-term effective option. I’d encourage you to think that every time your organisation changes a process, a program, or an output, you’re moving a goal post.’
Eliza Fawsson continued to entertain and educate her crowd, earning both the box of chocolates and the lucrative fee she received as payment.
But the real world beckoned and, as Dan knew well, even the best content can face an uphill challenge in its application.
Comments