Broomstick challenge

My 8th grade health teacher walked in and said, “You guys are being stupid.”

He pulled out a 5-foot long broomstick, pointed at me and said, “Allen, come over here.”

He drew a mark on the stick about an inch away from one end.

He said, “I want you to balance this stick vertically on your hand while looking at this mark.” And he handed me the stick, holding it vertically, with the marked end at the bottom.

I placed that end on my palm, stared at the mark — and at my palm — and gave it a try.

I couldn't keep it balanced for more than a second or two.

Nobody else in the class could either.

He said, “Here, I'll show you.”

Then held the stick vertically on his palm, with the marked end at the top, and began balancing.

He kept his eyes fixed on that mark, and within a few seconds we understood his trick.

It's a lot easier to balance that stick when you're looking at the far end.

He said, “Very good. But you're still being stupid. Too many of you are living life by staring at things that are just an inch in front of you. You'll never get what you want that way. Why aren't you thinking about where you'll be in a year, or two, or five? Pick a point in the future, keep your eye on it, and adjust as needed to stay on track.”

Here's the thing:

You're probably dealing every day with challenges to make your CRM — and your other systems, both human and technological — do what you need them to do right now.

Naturally, you need those systems to work for you today.

But at the same time: Where do you want to be with them a year from now, or two, or five?

Hopefully you're thinking about that on a regular basis. Hopefully you're taking steps to shape those systems into resources for long-term value for your organization and your mission.

It's a lot easier to balance all of that when you're looking at the far end.

All the best,
A.