60% of any group of people are conservative. They just want a job, any job, and want to do simple, predictable work. The want to stay in the cave, because it’s dangerous out there; you never know where and when a bear or sabletooth tiger may attack.
40% of people understand that one can be safe by staying in the cave, but one will starve. Food is not in the cave, it’s out there. So, for self-preservation (strategic risk management) one has to go out, well equipped and sober to handle the environment (tactical risk management: listen and look carefully, and Be Prepared) and do some foraging (incl operational risk management; don’t be stupid and taste rotten stuff, etc.).
Nowadays, staying in the cave will not make you safe. Bears may hide in the back of the cave already: no matter how still you sit, headcount cuts are coming and may hit you regardless of your conformity. Or your better-adapted colleague-caveman may prey on you for the little comfort that (performance-contribution-)skinny you may bring to hold out another day. If you’d still have flesh, that would be muscle and you would (could) be the one holding out. Either all in the cave die, or through cannibalism at least a more lean and mean gathering of people (i.e., organization) may survive.
And the world outside changes faster than ever, so the cave entrance is besieged (or walled off!) by enemies taking your turf and starving or enslaving you.
[Toronto, but you knew that]
So, join the 40% and be even better at exploring, be better at being safe without a cave. Be better at risk management. Go out, dare; not running around stupidly but with due care. Enjoy the ever (faster) changing view!
One thought on “In the cave, not hunting”