«
»

Going with the Flow

plotting a course Someone responded to my blog yesterday “I usually let it go with the flow……or better……where the flow takes us……….”    And it made me realise that what sounds rather like a bit of a hippy cliché in fact contains some really serious keys to successful change.  Change is organic; it comes from within.  Attempts to impose it from the outside (the usual method in most businesses) is almost doomed to fail.  We need to encourage and enable people to change, not force it. 

Working with the currents of ‘What Is’,   rather than what we would like to be, uses the same principles as sailing, which forces the sailor to shift his course to take account of the wind, tides and weather rather than merely following an arbitrary plotted route.

Understanding this simple lesson is perhaps the key to Change

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”  Lao-Tzu

“Every flow has its ebb.”   French Proverb

 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , ,

This entry was posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 15:20 and is filed under Business Change, Hints, Tips & Techniques, Values & Philosophy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 Responses to “Going with the Flow”

  1. Ruth Edwards says:
    8 December , 2009 at 10:43

    My dear Dad, 85 years young, successful business man and Mosquito pilot in WW2 has the heart, mind and energy of someone 25 years younger than him at least and a strength of character that is awesome.

    I put this down to his amazing simple philosophies in life by which he lives his daily life, not just when times are tough – and we have had a few tragedies in our family over the last 6/7 years which would put anyone to their test.

    In his mellow scottish lilt he always just says ‘Go with the flow’ Go with the flow’ –

    And quite simply it means there is no point in trying to control what has to be – and there are things in our lives which are beyond anyone’s control. In doing so it gives you strength, flexibility and moreover allows you to be the strength and help that others need.

  2. richardderwentcooke says:
    9 December , 2009 at 15:27

    That is lovely Ruth.. he sounds quite a guy. Thanks for sharing this

  3. Rosemary Parr says:
    9 December , 2009 at 16:11

    I used to work for a very large organisation that had quite active union members. My main role was introducing ‘change’ imposed by Strategic Headquarters. Tell the staff that things had to change and you had instant resistance. Tell them how it developed from what they were doing already and it made more sense to them and stood a far greater chance of being accepted.

    If you’re trying to change something in your business or personal life and you keep coming up against obstacles, it’s probably not in line with the flow. Going with the flow is not limiting. It can help you go much further providing you’re using it as a way of enabling your change.

    Rosemary

    Rosemary Parr
    Parr Excellence Business Limited

  4. richardderwentcooke says:
    9 December , 2009 at 16:26

    Rosemary, many thanks for sharing your experiences. I really agree. It is just frustrating that some many people in positions of power still seem unaware of these simple truths

Leave a Reply

Spam Protection by WP-SpamFree Plugin