“I live in Mallorca, Spain and I’m not sure there are better places.”
– Rafael Nadal, Tennis Star.
I was fortunate to have spent the weekend on the island of Mallorca, in the Mediterranean..
I was in the North Western part, in a tiny village called Deia. Richard Branson calls it one of his favourite places. The village is at the base of a mountain looking onto the sea, and all of the buildings blend in with the natural surrounds. Every morning I was woken to a chorus of birds singing from the plentiful trees in the area.
It’s a real treasure trove for hikers, tourists, cyclists and sailing/water fanatics.
But the roads…
Let’s just say they’re not for the faint-hearted.
If you’ve ever driven the tiny roads of Connemara on the West Coast of Ireland you have a slight indication of what to expect. But the roads in this area of Mallorca are ‘next level’ in terms of size i.e. they are tiny! Plus they have the added challenge of imposing rock faces on one side and steep drops into the ocean on the other.
I was driving a rental car and naturally, I couldn’t maintain the speed I was doing on the regular roads – to do so would have been to invite major trouble. Although it took me a little while to realise how slow I needed to go to be safe – but that’s what my wife Judy is there for…:)
I had to adapt my speed to the terrain, and the risks.
I see a parallel in our businesses and our lives.
Inevitably, at times the terrain will change. It could be something within our organisation or it could be something in our personal lives (health, relationships, finances).
We may not like to slow down but if we don’t adapt to the current terrain, we can invite more problems and often increase the probability of a risk occurring.
Adapting to your terrain could mean slowing down right now, or indeed it could mean speeding up.
But driving at the same speed regardless of the reality of the terrain is asking for trouble.
Where do you need to adapt?
Best,
Shane