As I reflected on my personal and professional experiences I am struck by an interesting parallel between my white water rafting adventures and my experience as a Corporate Executive.
All of my white water experiences followed a similar process - a group of people, with varying skills and different experience levels, gathered together to maneuver a raft down through unknown obstacles and challenges. Some are friends and others strangers. A guide at the helm, whom everyone trusts, is assumed to know the river and have the skill to get us safely down. However, we all know this isn’t a one-man job.
After introductions and assurances of his competence, the guide assessed this group to identify personalities and skills. Through this assessment, he assigned roles and responsibilities aboard the raft.
He recited a very complete script. This explained the mission, vision, known hazards, strategies to navigate around them and the rescue plan if one was needed. There were rules of conduct, things like: don’t stand up in the raft, keep your paddle under control, hold onto the guide rope, listen to the guide, and follow directions quickly and concisely. These were non-negotiable.
He then confirmed that all paddlers had a clear understanding and agreed to participate fully. All were invited to withdraw from the adventure if they were not in full agreement. Some paddlers changed their minds at this point and opted out of the raft.
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