This can’t be a coincidence. Yesterday I had multiple conversations with completely different people about a specific topic. I wasn’t looking for this topic to be brought up. I didn’t bring it up. Completely organic.
The conversation with one of the people was about their propensity to “fail fast.” To infer that this is a “propensity” of theirs isn’t a strong enough statement. This belief is the core of their approach to every aspect of life. If you read enough books about core principles for running a business, you’re going to find a premise for the need to fail fast. The worst thing for productivity is to bang your head against the wall and achieve a small amount of success. If you’re going to go hard, win big or fail fast. No one starts a company with the intention of working absurdly long hours on a product or service that is marginally profitable. Getting stuck on the potential of things can be a killer. Failing fast gives you the opportunity to not get stuck and keep moving.
However, with failing fast, you need to be ready to burn an absurd amount of time chasing rabbit trails and hitting dead ends. You’re going to be moving like the wind and are going to potentially run over things and people in the process. There is also a much higher degree of uncertainty and instability that comes with this process. There will be damage/carnage in your wake.
The conversation with the other person was regarding a church they attend and the church’s propensity to “get it right.” They seem frozen in time, paralyzed by the need to make sure the I’s and T’s of the doctrine are all dotted and crossed. If you make a move, it needs to be completely thought out, shared with the group, prayed over, modified as necessary, action plans put in place, and then monitored closely as the plan progresses to make sure the actions are in line with the original stated doctrine.
Doctrine is important. It forms the foundation of any and all belief systems. Without “doctrine” in place, there can be no organizational system by which to form consistent lines of thinking to get a consensus between individuals. This is true in religion, politics, businesses, anywhere groups of people are moving as a singular, unified unit. However, a focus limited to doctrine leaves little time for action.
I see the foundation of these two conversations as relatively extreme opposites in regard to approaching life. On one hand, you have “don’t think, just do;” on the other you have, “it’s the thought that counts, so analyze each one carefully.” Either side might describe the other as “planners never do” and “doers never plan.”
Carpentry has a doctrine that provides a very balanced response to the two sides: measure twice; cut once. There is an emphasis on planning at the beginning to minimize mistakes down the road. Notice that it says “measure twice,” not “measure 12 times… and then once more because getting this wrong will ruin everything.” I’m a “measure thrice” type of guy.
The second part is actionable - cut once. If you did the first part, you shouldn’t have to cut 15 more times to figure out the right dimension. There are things that happen. The saw blade wobbles, the piece falls off the saw horses, the rip fence moves, you forget to tighten the clamps, etc. Some things just happen and some mistakes could have been avoided, but if you try to control all of the variables, nothing will get done.
It’s a balance with a whole lot of grey in the middle. Both of the extremes may have their place. There are obviously proponents of both. However, I’m not convinced either is the wisest course of action in most situations. If you’re looking for a balanced solution, I believe there’s wisdom to be found in carpentry.