I can swim.
That sounds like a fairly straightforward statement, doesn’t it?
But recently, after a sea swim in Cornwall and Scilly, I started thinking about whether being able to swim actually means the same thing everywhere.
Because swimming in a pool, swimming in a lake and swimming in the sea all require the same basic ability.
You need to be able to swim.
But that doesn’t make them the same experience.
And, as it turns out, there are quite a few similarities between that and adapting in business.
Same Skill, Different Environment
In a swimming pool, there’s a certain amount of security.
You generally know how deep it is. You can see the edge. The water temperature is reasonably predictable. There are usually lifeguards around. There aren’t waves, currents, weeds or jellyfish to contend with.
You can concentrate on swimming.
Move that same swimmer into a lake and things change.
The bottom might suddenly disappear beneath you. There may be weeds brushing against your legs. The water temperature can be very different. You need to be more aware of where you are and what’s around you.
Then there’s the sea.
Now you can add waves, currents, changing conditions and whatever else happens to be sharing the water with you.
I haven’t suddenly forgotten how to swim.
The basic skill is exactly the same.
But the environment changes what I need from that skill.
Ability Isn’t Always Enough
That got me thinking about business.
We often look at something we’ve done before and think:
I know how to do this.
And we probably do.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean we can approach it in exactly the same way this time.
A task for one client might technically be the same as a task for another, but the circumstances around it can be completely different.
One client might give you everything you need upfront. Another might need you to ask questions and gather information as you go.
One project might have plenty of time around it. Another might have a tighter deadline.
Sometimes you have clear boundaries and know exactly where you’re going.
Sometimes you’re metaphorically swimming through seaweed wondering what just touched your leg.
The skill hasn’t changed.
The environment has.
Sometimes You Need More Concentration
There was something else I noticed about swimming in different environments.
In a pool, I can switch off a bit.
I don’t have to think about every single thing I’m doing because the environment is controlled and familiar.
In open water, I can’t do that to the same extent.
I need to pay attention.
Where am I?
What’s the water doing?
How am I feeling?
Do I need to change what I’m doing?
And I think there’s a business lesson in that too.
Just because something is familiar doesn’t mean it will always require the same amount of concentration, time or energy.
There are days when a task I’ve done hundreds of times feels easy.
There are other days when exactly the same task requires much more from me.
And there are projects where the task itself isn’t particularly difficult, but everything surrounding it makes it more complicated.
That doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly become less capable.
It means I’m swimming in different water.
Adapting in Business: What Do You Need for This Particular Swim?
I think this is something we can forget when we’re running a business.
We judge ourselves by whether we can do something rather than looking at the conditions we’re trying to do it in.
Perhaps the better question isn’t:
Can I do this?
Perhaps it’s:
What do I need to be able to do this here?
Do I need more time?
More information?
Someone else’s expertise?
A different way of working?
Or simply fewer distractions so I can concentrate?
Being able to swim doesn’t mean every swim is the same.
And being capable of doing something in your business doesn’t mean you have to be able to do it in every situation, under every set of circumstances, in exactly the same way.
Sometimes you just need to recognise what sort of water you’re in.