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The Obstacle Course

Updated: May 17, 2021

Written by CultureCon Guest Blogger Shawn Gulyas, The Thought Catalyst at humanworks

obstacle course culturecon humanworks

What if we had all been training for the Business Tough Mudder during 2019?


You may be thinking – Does that really exist?


Then you may jump to – 2020 was a Tough Mudder.


And you may end up at – Could I have been better prepared as an individual or a business?


The answer – You could have and you should have. If you weren’t, start that business endurance training right now.


Did you have business resolutions and strategies for the start of 2021 and now with 2021 Q1 done are you looking back and still in survival mode?


I’m not one for resolutions. They feel good in the moment, but then they are lost on me. I prefer a clear and simple strategy. I prefer taking action and doing something – experiencing something. I began early in the pandemic to purposely stop saying to others that I was “hanging in there” or “surviving.” I did that because it started to sound to my ears like 2020 was happening to me without any effort on my part.


From a business perspective, I’ve heard this pandemic period described as chaotic…business culture being in chaos. From a human perspective, I’ve heard the words “scary” and “life-altering.”


Will you wake up from this nightmare or do you just need a hearty shake to stir the senses?


Is there a light at the end of the tunnel or do you need a flashlight or guide right now in the dark?


Are you surviving because you are the fittest and strongest or from being the luckiest while ducking and covering?


What if I challenged you and said this was all a warm-up? What if I challenged you and said this was all designed to remove your blinders?


In times of chaos or survival you must rely on the conditioning and effort you put in prior to the happening or event. If that preparation and structure were in place or being developed prior to a disruption you would be in a better position to meet the demands of the moment. If it wasn’t, you may find yourself floundering without a foundation to bring steadiness and confidence.


If you haven’t thought about your business’s Way prior to last year then it would be difficult to lead people, a product, a service. It would be difficult to navigate the obstacle course that lies ahead of us.