Directional Decision-Making
01/06/2023
A recent phone conversation with a colleague prompted my recollection of a story that is perhaps relevant as a year has closed and a new one is opening. The story was voiced to me several year ago. I cannot accurately recollect the meeting/conference nor the specific speaker; however, I recall the story vividly and found it useful in my consulting work. It goes something like this:
Posted by Don Tyler
ASAC Member
A recent phone conversation with a colleague prompted my recollection of a story that is perhaps relevant as a year has closed and a new one is opening. The story was voiced to me several year ago. I cannot accurately recollect the meeting/conference nor the specific speaker; however, I recall the story vividly and found it useful in my consulting work. It goes something like this:
Some time ago a US businessman traveled to India to attend to a business venture there. After several long days of work, he and his on-site Indian colleague decided to take a day’s respite and play a round of golf.
They teed off early the next morning at a local golf course. The US businessman (we will call him George) was surprised to find the fairways to be relatively narrow, lined with a variety of trees, including Banyan trees. Even more surprising was the fact that inhabiting these trees were scores of Rhesus monkeys . . .quite loud ones at that.
I am not a golfer, but golfers will understand that the loud screeches and squeaks would interfere with concentration during the game. Perhaps due to this mental interruption, George hooked a tee shot such that it went into the upper branches of the trees lining the fairway. As the ball ricocheted off a few limbs, one precocious monkey grabbed it. As George watched in “golfer dismay” the monkey engaged in a fast-moving game of keep-away with his fellow tree inhabitants. They ran up and down the trees for what seemed to be an eternity. Eventually, they tired of the game and the monkey dropped the ball to the ground underneath a cluster of trees.
I understand the game of golf is replete with numerous rules on how to play balls hit out-of-bounds, in water hazards and so forth. Upon watching the monkey release his golf ball and seeing the “lay”, George turned to his companion, “How the dickens to I play THAT ?” His Indian colleague quietly responded, “This course has adopted the rule that ‘You play it where the monkey drops the ball’ . . . “
In “business-business” and “life-business”, we are sometimes buffeted with circumstances, travails, and forces that land one in a location unplanned/unforeseen. The lesson from the story is:
Lamenting one’s position – especially if circumstances leading to that position were beyond one’s control – is a very inefficient use of a valuable resource . . . Time. One must proceed from the current position as best possible.
1. Assess the position’s location relevant to the primary goal (the hole);
2. Evaluate foreseeable obstacles (trees, water hazard, sand traps . . .) and all resources available (clubs in the golf bag, golfing ability, . . .);
3. Compose a plan (be aggressive-attempt to hit through a small opening in the trees-but at great risk, be more risk averse-lay up to obtain a more clear path to the hole, or some combination).
4. Proceed to engage the plan.
You must Play from Where the Monkey Drops the Ball.
Russell D Morgan, CAC
ASAC Board Member
Morgan Agricultural Consulting Svcs (MACS)
(615) 422-6490
https://www.morganagconsulting.com/
ASAC Board Member
Morgan Agricultural Consulting Svcs (MACS)
(615) 422-6490
https://www.morganagconsulting.com/
Posted by Don Tyler
ASAC Member
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