by Rick Baker
On Oct 2, 2013
About 20 years ago, a business colleague was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas with his young family. While walking along the beach, he and one of his sons were swept away by a rogue wave. They drown. Instantly, a vacation became a nightmare. When I heard the story, I thought – what an unfortunate tragedy. As details were confirmed, we learned the beach my colleague’s family happened to walk along was known for its rogue waves. Warning signs were posted. If you Google ‘cabo san lucas rogue wave’ you will find numerous articles about the area and the inherent risks.
Yet, year after year, people drown at Cabo San Lucas.
It’s not like it’s a perfect storm situation…it's not like freaks of nature are conspiring against you to bring you down.
No, it’s a rogue wave situation. It’s not about freaks of nature. It’s about situations that recur with some level of predictability. We may not be able to predict with accuracy when they will occur, however, we can predict with accuracy that, sooner or later, they will occur. And, as is the case in Cabo San Lucas there are warning signs. While you may not be familiar with the territory or the situation, others are.
In business, we have rogue waves. They appear in the form of business cycles and market trends and in the form of aged accounts receivable and toxic employees. These rogue waves of business have their warning signs. And, if you turn your back on those warning signs then you do it at your peril.
The question is…
In your business…
Are you blaming bad results on perfect storms?
And…
How many rogue waves does it take to catch your attention?
[Some people wouldn't recognize a rogue wave if it slapped them on the back.]