The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership
The Story
The challenge Billiards is designed to be frustrating. One participant once pulled me aside and told me that he had some suggestions to make the challenge less frustrating. I said if you could help me make it more frustrating that would be helpful!
Billiards is designed to see how people communicate when frustrated and how they communicate when not having success. When the stress level was the highest is when I heard Danielle utter the words, Let’s re-group.
To re-group allowed both the humans and horses to breathe. The group figured out that instead of trying to get the horse inside the “pocket-the two traffic cones” they would pick up the cones and set them on either side of the horse. Their time-out gave everyone a new perspective that allowed them to meet with success.
HorseTalk Insights
Most people say they work well under pressure. They say they think out of the box and are a team player. It doesn’t mean they really do the things necessary when frustrated and not having success.
No one is an expert at HorseTalk. Having horse experience can actually ne more of a detriment than an advantage.
Life and Business Lessons
There are two definitions of re-group. One is to reassemble or cause to reassemble into organized groups, typically after being attacked or defeated.
The other is to reorganize (as after a setback) for renewed activity. I prefer to think of re-group as a strategy for renewed activity.
Your Call to Action CTA
Perseverance is a good thing. As a Taurus I even see stubbornness as a value, a dogged determination in pursuit of a goal. At times embrace the value of stepping back, taking a literal or figurative breath, and moving forward in a different way: with a different goal, different team members, or a different strategy.
