A View from the Ropes Course

Earlier this fall, I was at an Outward Bound reunion that brought a group of us together to catch up, reminisce, and think about moments and ways in which that experience has informed our work and lives in the (many) years since we ventured into the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota - canoeing, portaging, rock climbing and rapelling, and doing a skit/song memorializing our time together to the theme song of the TV show "Gilligan's Island."  

One activity that stands out for me was a ropes course that was a series of exercises to navigate an obstacle course. It was everything from 'climbing' on a horizontal rope ladder from one tree to another, walking across a log with a rope to help balance, or untangling interwoven ropes to scramble across and tackle the next 'trick.' None of these things were terribly daunting…on the ground. But the progression of 'tricks' kept taking us higher, up to 50 feet, off the ground. That's when walking across a narrow log gets a lot more nerve-wracking. It's amazing what adding some altitude will do. Even with a safety harness and carabiners as precautions to ensure our safety, those devices didn't calm a racing heart.

It was an experience that invited me, and all of us, to look at 'risk' vs. 'perceived risk’ – put another way, what's really risky and what just seems that way.  

That factors into this moment of great uncertainty in regular life off the physical ropes course. Should we meet in person? How does being vaccinated change that? Or wearing a mask? Or proof of a negative PCR test?  Does meeting outside make it better? Or a well-ventilated indoor space? What about attending large outdoor gatherings? Or flying?

And for work: What's the risk of not doing it all? Or feeling like you have to? Or setting boundaries? What about prioritizing family over the office? What's the risk of leaving your job? Or the possibility that you'll get laid off? What about starting your own business?  Or staying with your organization?

We all have different considerations, experiences and views on the risks. And that's ok. Sometimes it's hard because what seems like a 'low risk' or 'high risk' activity/decision to me can be viewed otherwise by others. And while my own ropes course experience sees a clear, objective distinction between 'risk' and what's 'perceived risk', the uncertainty of today's world makes it a lot murkier and not so easy to differentiate. 

Wishing you the clarity of a ropes course with its way of revealing what is 'risk' and what's 'perceived risk.' Sadly that's not so easy. How are you managing your own personal ropes course? Drop a comment or send me an email, and I may include your thoughts in an upcoming newsletter or blog post.