Lessons of Life and Business on Snowmass Peak
Do you ever look down and wonder how you got to where you are? You follow a series of completely logical steps- but look down to find yourself in a fully unreasonable situation.
Several years ago, hiking one of the highest peaks in Colorado, my friends and I made a few very rational decisions that ended in a very loose very large rock field over a sheer 1000 ft cliff drop.
It took setting off a couch sized boulder that toppled down mere feet from my friend to know we had to turn around.
How did we get into this mess?
We assumed we could blaze our own path
Watching the map intently, we determined we had missed the turnoff and would need to find our own way to the peak. Perhaps we over-judged our mountaineering skills or under-estimated the severity of the terrain.
We forged ahead, despite red flags
What seemed like a normal course of action at the time, looking back seems illogical- and in this case dangerous. It may take looking back for that perspective, but we easily could’ve recognized the red flags and changed course.
We adhered to the sunk cost fallacy
Up until the point of questioning our very survival, we thought it was easier to keep pressing forward, rather than admit we were wrong by turning around to retrace our steps.
As it turns out, we were not far from the trail. Finally, back on the trail not long after turning around, we gladly found the safety of firm ground and the smooth gradient of the switchbacks. Many well-informed, smart people before us had designed the most efficient path to the peak. We were so grateful for their hard work!
Ok, get to the business lesson already!
I don’t tell this story to scare you into better researching your hiking routes – which you should absolutely do – but to point out how we dig ourselves into increasingly critical situations.
At PlatCore, many of our customers come to us with a tangle of business systems. Due to acquisitions, departmental silos or personal grudges, many companies end up in seemingly unreasonable positions – in constant states of firefighting and drama. They lack access to real-time data, they lack direct control of systems. They have a different LMS for every department. Redundant systems cost them smooth operations, cause constant delays. And they press forward.
Our customers often blazed their own path into ServiceNow app creation. When they realize the enormity of the project (and download our app with the hour) they invariably regret the expensive custom builds and wasted time.
You cannot always pick the perfect route from the onset. BUT, when things are getting more and more difficult… Stop. Take a moment to reassess your situation. Look at the map and plan your next steps with longevity in mind.
Put another way, if you find yourself scrambling down a cliff face, it may be time to find a better way down.
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PlatCore has built the first Learning Management System (LMS) in ServiceNow. Utilizing ServiceNow for internal training provides unparalleled ease of use, as well as cost and process efficiencies. A modern, user-friendly learner interface and powerful administrator side allow direct access to employees, real-time data and ServiceNow’s world-class reporting and security.
Want to learn more? Read 5 Reasons your LMS belongs on ServiceNow!