Time to Change

                  TIME to CHANGE

In my last blog post I discussed a problem I had while flying back from eastern Oregon in bad weather and how we need to be willing to call a problem what it is, a problem, and not an opportunity.

In that instance I made an emergency landing at Cascade Locks. Many of you probably didn’t even know there was a landing strip at Cascade Locks along the Columbia River. A good friend of mine, and fellow consultant commented: “Go into situations with a strong foundation to assess the situation and react effectively when problems arise”. This is excellent advice.

I had another incident similar to this one, again coming back from eastern Oregon in sub-par weather. I had passed Cascade Locks this time and again the weather had deteriorated to below minimums. I was monitoring the Troutdale Tower on my radio listening for other aircraft that might be in the area. The ceiling was at 400’ well below legal limits. I looked back and could see that there was no tuning back to land at Cascade Locks this time.

Suddenly the radio came to life, and it was the Troutdale Tower asking me what my intentions were. They had been monitoring my transponder signal on their radar and knew that I had to make a decision. Turn back or land, there was nowhere else to go. I had a big problem. I requested a special VFR clearance in order to land in weather conditions that are below legal limits. This is a necessary requirement and not looked on favorably by the FAA

I decided that day, that I would no longer fly in marginal conditions. It was just too dangerous and I was not just risking my life, but those of the passengers that I was carrying. It was time to make a change. From that point on, I became a fair weather pilot, only flying when the conditions were excellent.

People and businesses are the same in many regards. We don’t change until the pain to remain the same is greater than the pain to change. Often it takes crises in someone’s life or in their business before they will make a change. And many times, it’s too late to recover from these crises.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to wait for a personal crises or a business disaster to make the necessary changes for a better future. We can be monitoring the weather and continually evaluating our path and direction, making constant adjustments to a better future. This is called continuous improvement.

Don’t wait for crises in your business to change. We can help you navigate to a prosperous and better future.