On my morning runs this time of year, I always end up running through at least one snail crossing. Snails of all sizes, some half as big as my pinky nail, others quite large, trail across the sidewalk or path that I’m running on, leaving their shiny silver footprint behind them.
Inevitably, some of the snails don’t make it to their final destination, and are crushed by our big pedestrian feet or passing bike wheels. I do my best to avoid the snails, hopscotching my way along the sidewalk – after all, they’re just trying to get somewhere and do their snail thing – but once in a while I’ll hear a crunch as my feet hit the ground.
This may sound crazy, but I always feel bad when it happens.
During my run this morning, I had blog topics rattling around in my head, and a couple of them even half-written. Then I came upon a snail crossing, and started thinking about how some businesses are like these snails, going about their day trying to get somewhere successfully. Some make it and go on to thrive and prosper, while others get crushed along the way.
What crushes these businesses can be pretty much anything. Personal or financial issues, bad business decisions, poor planning or leadership – name your poison. They can all have an equally devastating effect.
This week has been a tough one for me, both personally and professionally, dealing with some potentially crushing events arising out of the Monday morning murk. I’ve spent most of the week trying to get my head straight so I can map out my path, and feel I’m close now.
I just have to figure out which snail crossing to use.
