"CHARGING OFF THE TRAIL"

Within the last decade, there has been a new expression added to this collection of terms.  The new term is "Charging Off The Trail."  It means to try something new by stepping off the conventional pathway.  Furthermore, it means stepping off that conventional pathway at any time, whether there is a crisis or not. The point of "Charging Off The Trail" is to look for options when you have the time to experiment; not just when you are in crisis mode.

The problem that most people have -- but are not usually aware of -- is that they handle their problems in the same manner all the time.  Most of the time this is for the sake of efficiency. Paperwork is filled out a certain way because that's the 'way we do things around here.'  Six years later, the paperwork is still being filled out in the same way.

Is there a better, faster or efficient way to fill out that paperwork?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But you will never find out unless you try something new.

The difficulty most organizations -- and supervisors -- have is that trying something new involves risk and every change has a great chance of being in error.  After all, if the system could have been changed it would have been changed.

Inevitably there will have to be change, of course, but why rush it?

And that is exactly the point!