“Making it up as we go along”

Friend of the list Rose L. writes in with a response (shared with permission) to my email “Wishful thinking” from a few days ago.

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I had said:

• Complex systems are hard to master.
• The future is hard to predict.
• Donors who don’t feel appreciated don’t return.
• Members want substantial value in return for dues.
• Staff need training, support, and leadership.
• Every improvement requires an investment of time, attention, and funds.

But unlike gravity, these simple facts of life are still not understood and accepted by many of us grown adults. It’s easy to imagine that we could — if not for these pesky realities — truly change the world for good without so much effort.

But it’s no use.

The realities are there, and there’s little value in trying to wish them away.

Rose replies:

… maybe this reflects my current state of mind (!) but I read it as something like “despite being grown adults, we often keep our head in the sand when something is difficult or complex”

and maybe it’s the use of the term ‘grown adults’ –

as kids, we assume that becoming an adult means we know what we’re doing but that’s pretty far removed from the truth.

Most of us are making it up as we go along, giving the impression that we confidently know what we’re doing!

So I’m thinking:

Oh yeah, I’m totally making it up as I go along (no kidding), for a lot of things.

And that’s part of the fun of it.

When I was 8, I was excited to mow the lawn.
That got old soon enough — just about the time I learned all there was to know about cutting grass.

Fortunately for all of us, there’s always something new to learn.

Fortunately for the people we care about, there’s usually a way to harness that learning for everyone’s benefit.

All the best,
A.