The Return is in the Turns

I heard something great the other day from cultural thought leader Erwin McManus that really resonated with me in relation to life and business: “the return is in the turns.” As we navigate through our lives at work and home, we have a vision — a path or a direction we expect things to go. But this statement challenged me to reflect and realize that many growth opportunities and the beauty of life come as that vision of a straight line is hit with bends and turns, causing us to navigate the changes. If you’ve ever adventured on the Hana Highway in Maui, this may speak to you directly, as fear and anxiety turn into unbelievable scenery just around the bend.

Turns Create Opportunities

It’s in the turns that we have to respond to change and challenges, and eventually recognize the opportunities that lie in front of us. Often on the turns we have to decide which direction to go. Do we keep moving forward on a project as we anticipated, or do we need to rethink our thinking and find opportunities to be innovative?

Turns Allow Us to be Creative

Moving from the straight path requires us to be creative in our solutions to the challenges we face. It’s often the case when a project turns or shifts that your team can use its resources and experience to problem solve and create out-of-the-box solutions that may create a more efficient or better outcome that was initially not considered. 

Turns Open New Possibilities

As your team tackles the turns, you may see a new window of opportunity you never saw before. These possibilities can streamline your business processes, open new ventures if you identify a gap in the industry or even create opportunities for staff development — as every turn is a learning process that should be shared with the team.

Sara Suter
V.P., CBSI