Patio Pondering: Zig When Plans Zag

This morning dawned with a nuisance rain, a Finkle Sprinkle, with just enough to halt harvest activities in our area but not enough to relieve the drought that still has us in a death grip. The air carried that fresh smell of rain as the drops tapped softly on the patio roof.

We had to change plans, drop five, and punt.

That’s nothing new for any of us. Many times, when making sales calls with my teams, we had to adjust plans because a customer or prospect couldn’t meet. We’d shuffle our schedule, maybe stop in on that prospect who said, “Come by when you have time,” or grab lunch with a coworker we rarely saw. The day wasn’t lost; it just took a different route.

But as I reflect on how some of us naturally roll with these minor disruptions, others get stuck when plans change. They freeze, not from lack of effort, but from the discomfort of uncertainty. Some folks simply haven’t had to build that adaptability muscle yet, and that’s okay. They’re still valuable members of our teams.

The challenge, then, isn’t to outpace them. It’s to help bring them along. To lead by example when the plan zigs instead of zags. A calm voice, a steady hand, or even a simple, “Let’s figure it out together,” can turn frustration into forward motion.

How have you worked to smooth sudden shifts in plans with your teams, especially those challenged by the changes that happen at the speed of business?