Be prepared!

On a recent work related flight, things were running normally for me, up until the moment that I presented my boarding pass at the gate. The scanner display lit up all red, indicating that something was amiss. The airline attendant had a quick look, turned around and grinned as she said that my initially allocated seat had been swapped with an upgrade to the First Class.

Now, that is a kind of surprise that I don't mind at all :-)

No sooner than I had settled in my seat, I noticed a familiar looking person making his way into the aircraft and settling down in the seat behind me. In a fraction of a second, it became all too clear that this person was none other than the famous industrialist Mr. Anand Mahindra, whose achievements, philanthropy and a socially active Twitter handle had earned him a large base of admirers including yours truly.

Surprise, shock, awe, excitement - perhaps in equal proportions - were writ large on my face as I grappled with the dilemma of whether or not to exchange pleasantries with him. After a few moments of anxiety induced panic, I mustered enough courage to walk up to him.

What followed thereafter was a bit of a blur. I said a couple of lines, wished him well, returned to my seat and then grappled with self for the rest of the journey if it all should / could have been a bit more coherent! Perhaps, done differently, the conversation might have extended a bit, offering an opportunity to learn a thing or two from the august company I was in.

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Looking back, this incident strikes me as a remarkable analogy for how often in the work context, we plan and work towards being battle ready to face any adverse eventuality while staying under prepared for capitalising on unexpected opportunities.

Being prepared for the worst is a good defensive strategy indeed. However, at its best, it will only help you avoid or minimise losses. It will most certainly not help you profit from the unfolding events. On the other hand, practising for potential opportunities will go a long way in optimizing your actions when they occur. Moreover, the potential upside could be huge indeed - perhaps a new deal, market, product, customer, idea, funding…perhaps a life-long friendship even!

Adapting a quote from the worldly-wise Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip) - Life is full of surprises, sometimes when you need one :-)

Would you agree? Looking forward to your responses!

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