There is a window over our stairs at home with a windowsill that used to be tiled in an orangey red, but when last decorated was changed to a white painted surface. This was perhaps a mistake as it was less attractive and is now getting very scruffy with the paint peeling off. Its poor state is also very obvious as we see it every time we walk up or down the stairs. My immediate thought was to get some terracotta tiles and revert to the old version. Not difficult you would have thought, but after numerous searches on Amazon and the internet generally, intermittently over several weeks, I just could not find the right size or type of tile. In particular I needed a 17-centimetre-deep bull nose tile with an overhanging lip at the end away from the window. Buying overlarge ones and cutting them down to shape would have stretched my DIY ability. I did acquire some which were about a centimetre too shallow on the basis I could maybe fill in the gap, but this did not work and the tiles now grace my garden. Then I had an epiphany – you don’t have to use tiles. I found you could buy online a “marble style white tile finish windowsill cover” to nearly the exact measurements. Delivery was around 3 weeks, but this was by no means an urgent job. 

It struck me on reflection that I could not see the right solution because I was hell bent on following the wrong one. I recognise this pattern in professional work where it is all too easy to get fixated on one approach to a challenge, maybe because it has worked before or possibly has already involved considerable effort which a new approach would make redundant. Nevertheless, on reflection it is always worth maintaining an open mind and considering alternatives; in particular if something just is not working don’t keep pushing at a closed door. Have the humility and the sense to look at other workable solutions which incidentally may just be better that the original one – tiles on windowsills are maybe a bit passe now. My mistake on reflection was having too fixed a mindset – I had to find and use tiles. Instead, we should be open to alternative approaches in our daily work, especially on a significant new project or transaction. We should I suggest be willing to consider different ideas and perspectives – it is so easy to have a tendency to favour our initial viewpoint. See this article How to Be Open-Minded and Why It Matters which suggests from a psychological perspective that being “open-minded” “involves being receptive to a wide variety of ideas, arguments, and information. Being open-minded is generally considered a positive quality. It is necessary in order to think critically and rationally. Open-mindedness can also involve asking questions and actively searching for information that challenges your beliefs.”

In more of a work context see this article 10 Steps To Become More Open-Minded which proposes that “Open-minded people can fairly value experiences, beliefs, emotions, goals or arguments that may not align with their own.” It proposes ways to achieve this including.

• Be aware of your biases - Biases affect how we interpret information and can cause judgment or stereotypes.
• Consider the opposite viewpoint - Open-mindedness involves being able to question not just others, but also yourself.
• Reframe negative thoughts - Open-minded people are typically more realistic or optimistic in their outlook.

While this Harvard Business Review article How to Become More Adaptable in Challenging Situations proposes that “In unfamiliar, high-stakes situations, it can be difficult to remain calm and open-minded. Our instinctive reaction is to stick with what has worked for us in the past. That’s normal, and it can work well in familiar situations. But defaulting to old habits in new situations that call for new solutions is usually a recipe for failure.” It advocates developing an approach of “Deliberate Calm” which requires three major elements:

• Learning agility - learning from experience, experimenting with new tactics, approaching new situations with a growth mindset, seeking and learning from feedback, and applying these lessons in real time to new situations.
• Emotional self-regulation - the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions, and to channel those emotions into productive ways of thinking and acting.
• Dual awareness - the integration of internal circumstances (experiences, thoughts, emotions, and responses) and external ones (an objective reading of the situation and what it calls for).

And this open minded approach looking for alternatives is not just an individual trait to be encouraged; it is something that can be recognised and fostered in professional teams. See this article from the Marymount University in the US Five Ways To Boost Cognitive Diversity That Can Lead To Greater Innovation which discusses “the inclusion of people who have different ways of thinking, different viewpoints and different skill sets in a team or business group.” It proposes that “Diversity of thought, experience and perspective can lead to greater creativity and the ability to see problems from multiple angles.” It concludes “Great leaders bring everyone to the table to hear varied opinions in a nonjudgmental and supportive environment. Once everyone offers input, they can synthesize the ideas and feedback in ways not previously considered. In doing so, diversity and trust become mutually reinforcing elements within an organization’s culture.”

For a great example of open minded thinking, opening new doors in the process, I recommend the book  “Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance” by Louis V. Gerstner jr. which is his memoir about the extraordinary turnaround of IBM and his transformation of the company in the 1990’s. He had little experience of the computer industry but demonstrated that even very large IT organisations can reinvent themselves though only with the right leadership and a willingness to embrace new ideas. He commented "It isn't a question of whether elephants can prevail over ants. It's a question of whether a particular elephant can dance. If it can, the ants must leave the dance floor".
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“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Alexander Graham Bell, or possibly Fernando de Rojas, the author of the book La Celestina, around 1500.

On the A44 going down into Broadway in Worcestershire is a steep descent called Fish Hill which boasts an escape lane – see this article and also Escape Lane “An escape lane is a road feature that seems to be disappearing from our roads. They were commonly located on steep hills in the past, offering a safe zone for vehicles, particularly lorries, to get off the road if their brakes proved to be insufficient for the hill.” They are far less common these days as improved brakes and road systems have been introduced. However, it is the concept I am interested in here. When I was younger one of my more distant friends had a reputation for getting into trouble, which was to some extent deserved. He used to drive cars very fast along English country roads often at night and sometimes racing. Whilst not to be recommended he opened my eyes (as a more conservative road user) to how he saw a particular stretch of road. He did not just like most of us follow the tarmac and obey the road signs (he definitely did not always do that!), but rather looked to the side of the road and the verge and calculated what would happen if he was forced (or skidded) off the road. So, if for example there was a grass strip then going off the road was not too risky. If there were trees or other immovable obstacles it was definitely to be avoided. This sort of thinking is worth keeping in mind if something does go wrong and you are for example swerving to avoid another road user. Hopefully this is a rarity, but if it happens this greater awareness and having some idea of an escape lane if you like can be critical. I took an advance drivers test a couple of years ago and the instructor said something similar in terms of being aware even when you are on motorway of the traffic in front and behind you in case you need to take evasive action. See this article Escape Route(s) – Always Leave an “Out”.

However, here I think there is also a useful the analogy to our professional working life and the idea that if something does go dramatically wrong we have already planned a hypothetical escape lane. Say a commercial deal being negotiated for 12 months collapses at the last moment, or a patient well on the road to recovery suddenly relapses. Or a business sale of a company already suffering financial difficulties stalls threatening to destroy the whole corporation. These things will inevitably happen, hopefully very rarely, but when they do it helps to have a thought through way out to prevent a professional disaster. A year ago in October 2023 I wrote a blog Have a Plan B commenting “it really pays to have a back-up plan even if things seem to be going well. Then at least you are prepared.” I want to take this a stage further in October 2024 and look at how and indeed if we can prepare for a fundamental failure (no brakes on a steep hill) or change of circumstances which threatens to derail an entire transaction or career or professional business.

One perspective on this subject is the idea of a disaster recovery plan – see this Google Cloud article What is a Disaster Recovery Plan? Which discusses what to do if there is a serious IT failure. “Disaster recovery (DR) is an organization’s ability to restore access and functionality to IT infrastructure after a disaster event, whether natural or caused by human action (or error).” It discusses “having a solid plan to get critical applications and infrastructure up and running after an outage”. But this is more of an organisational plan that will exist at a corporate or firm level like an emergency plan of there is (another) pandemic or terrorist attack – see Emergency Planning in the Workplace. It will in effect be imposed on workers by the firm. Closer to my theme is how to plan for individual career and work challenges – see this blog Everyone Needs A Career Disaster Recovery Plan: Here’s How To Get Started which comments “When disaster strikes there’s sense of sense of powerless that comes with it. Making a plan can help with that feeling”.

There is plenty of advice and commentary available about what to do AFTER a crisis, see, for example, this short Forbes piece How To Recover From A Major Mistake At Work but far less commentary on anticipating and being prepared.

This attitude or approach of thinking about an escape lane before the event occurs also helps to turn failure into success. See this blog by the author James Clear Plan For Failure: Being Consistent Is Not the Same as Being Perfect. The context is about consistency but he also comments as follows:
“But if you want to maintain your sanity, reduce stress, and increase your odds of long-term success, then you need to plan for failure as well as focus on consistency…..research from Stanford professor Kelly McGonigal has shown that the number one reason why willpower fades and people fail to remain consistent with their habits and goals is that they don’t have plan for failure. Planning to fail doesn't mean that you expect to fail, but rather than you know what you will do and how you will get back on track when things don't work out. If you're focused on being perfect, then you're caught in an all-or-nothing trap.”

That fount of all current wisdom AI (Microsoft Copilot) advises (quite sagely on this occasion) that “When a professional transaction goes wrong, it’s crucial to have a plan in place to address the issue effectively. Here are some steps you can take:
1 Assess the Situation:

• Identify the Problem: Understand what went wrong and why. Gather all relevant information and documentation.
• Evaluate the Impact: Determine the extent of the damage or loss caused by the issue.

2 Communicate Transparently:

• Inform Stakeholders: Notify all relevant parties about the issue promptly. Be honest and clear about what happened and the potential impact.
• Provide Updates: Keep stakeholders informed about the steps being taken to resolve the issue and any progress made.

3 Develop a Resolution Plan:

• Identify Solutions: Brainstorm possible solutions to rectify the problem. Consider both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to prevent recurrence.
• Consult Experts: If necessary, seek advice from legal, financial, or other relevant professionals to ensure the chosen solution is sound.”

The people who constructed the road at Fish Hill knew that it was very steep and with the state of motor car (and lorry) brakes at the time likely to cause serious problems. So, they planned for this and built an escape lane. I suggest we will all benefit from planning an escape lane in our professional working lives – not just a corporate DR plan but at a personal and transactional level. When in say the legal profession we plan a negotiation we mostly anticipate success and what to do when the deal is signed. We ought also I suggest have a plan in place to address what to do if the transaction fails. It could be as simple as find another customer/supplier or buyer for the business. Armed with this it is far easier to “escape” the crash, survive and mitigate the failure. 

“Always plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” The American prelate Richard Cushing.

“I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.” Benjamin Disraeli.
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“To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” Oscar Wilde.