I clicked over another year back in April and was thinking about the numbers that I carry with me for the year. Life has been particularly bumpy and has continued to be so I declared the year to be about off-roading. Blazing a path toward a goal but not absolutely sure what I will encounter along the way.

When I told a friend that this was the year of four-by-fouring for me, he immediately responded by saying that there are 3 keys to successful off-roading:

1. Go Slow

2. Keep Moving

3. Relax and roll with the ride no matter how rough it gets

I was struck by how applicable those three things are for me to remind myself and my clients of in the ever-changing landscape of business.

Go Slow – Business these days is always about speed, how quickly can we go to market, launch a new product, adapt to the latest change, increase revenues, learn a new skill, etc. Going slow is usually not an option in today’s world of I wanted it done yesterday. Slowing down is not easy, popular or generally accepted as a good idea. Yet, too often in the rush to get things done, important information is missed or misinterpreted and the relational aspects of work that take time to resolve are glossed over. The result is often more time is spent in the long run repairing the damage that comes from going too fast.

Keep Moving – The key here is to keep the momentum moving forward. Coming to a complete stop and getting started again is very challenging and sometimes impossible. Finding the right balance between going slow, but not so slow that you stop is the art of off-roading. In other words, inertia is a powerful force that you want working in your favor versus against you. You also have to keep moving in the desired direction even if that means going slightly off-course in the short run rather than stopping because the obvious path is blocked.

Relax and enjoy the ride – Four-wheeling is never a smooth ride, so you have to get used to the invariable thrashing about that happens as you go. Trying to hold on tight, death gripping the steering wheel or door handle, is exhausting work. Trying to tense up and hold you head straight will be the end of you. It is natural to do as beginners invariably worry about their vehicles ability to absorb the terrain. But seasoned riders know that you have to let go and literally roll with what comes even if that means flailing about like a wet noodle.

There have been days when I and the leaders I work with have wanted to:

1. Stop and choose a different path,

2. Go much faster than it seems like we are toward a goal

3. White knuckle the wheel because the ride is excruciating due to the obstacles that have appeared in the road of life and business that have to be negotiated.

Yet the reminder to do the opposite of what is intuitive and practice these three core off-roading skills has served me and my clients well in the first third of my four-by-four year. The practices have helped keep progress toward the destination and desired outcomes despite the inevitable obstacles that emerge. The result has been a greater appreciation for the journey along the way. So give them a try and let me know what you experience along the way. Happy trails!!