Ever since I was little, I've been obsessed with anything to do with two wheels and an engine.
The key to riding motorcycles is that they require an "active" management of their physics for them to balance and function. Once you get it right, the satisfaction of weaving through corners (or dirt trails) is phenomenal.
However, learning to ride motorcycles is not easy. How do you explain to your stubborn brain that, in order to go left, you have to pull on the right grip? How do you assure that you're looking up, instead of checking what's in front of your front wheel? How do you avoid riding into a very visible obstacle?
Most of the time, it's a matter of avoiding Target Fixation. Our hand-eye coordination, very helpful in 99.9% of the cases, will put you in harm's way if you let it take over. In other words, if you fix your sights on that tree, you will hit it.
In layman's terms, the way to avoid target fixation is to "look where you want to go, not where you don't want to crash".
Easier said than done. But with practice, one will develop that subconscious skill which will guide them through wavy roads with confidence, and very importantly, with pleasure.
The business analogy in this case is quite clear. Companies (or Managers) who focus on avoiding threats instead of driving towards their goals, develop a tendency for getting stuck in all sorts of avoidable situations. I'm not saying a company should not try to manage risk; that is a completely different matter. On that aspect, an experienced biker assures that their bike is in good riding condition, has all the paperwork in order and – most importantly – the rider himself is protected by the best available safety gear, as well as having his skills and psycho-physical condition in top shape.
Target Fixation affects business as much as it affects a motorcycle riding. Try to focus on where you want your team, organization, company (or even yourself) to go, and do not let the magnetic attraction of avoidable dangers to pull you towards harm.
In time, these potentially threatening items will become part of the landscape. You'll be aware that they are there, and know the danger they represent, but you will skillfully glide past towards your destination.
Thanks for reading
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