Proactive versus reactive management….

Time and again, people are encouraged to use proactive management instead of reactive management…… after all it is indeed more effective and peaceful.

Yet, the majority gravitates towards reactive management because proactive management requires rigour of discipline in our thinking and habits. Like exercise and diet call for discipline, or any form of endurance testing experience demands discipline, and proactive management mandates tidy, strategic, and well thought out steps.

Cooking or kitchen work is an interesting example. Those who cook well are methodical, and therefore are proactive in managing the process – managing time, ingredients, laying out the table, etc [Watch the the masterchef reality show to get a sense of what it demands.] A reactionary cook seldom enjoys the process and without the passion and joy, the food even at its best is mediocre.

Another contrast is the way Japan responded to the recent Tsunami compared to the countries caught by surprise by the one in 2004. Japan issued a warning 5 minutes before the tsunami hit. Almost all its citizens are given the drills annually and so that they know what to do when an earthquake hits. Many escaped because of the drills during non crisis time.

Those who, knowingly or unknowingly, resist such discipline, will end up always fighting fires throughout their lives. Fighting and dousing one fire in an reactionary style, typically ends up with many other fires starting behind the 1st one. There is no end to fighting fires because of lack of strategic planning.

We become like a pin ball in the machine, not in control of our own life. We become a passive victim of events – totally disowning personal influence…a lot easier to blame than to conquer. A lot easier to let others take the load and deal with the consequence of that than to exercise rigour of mind. The pin ball when seen by outside party or player at the machine is of no value except to entertain or to exert control.

We are most certainly more deserving than to be a ‘pin ball’, we must walk with the head leading the tail, not the other way around.

We can have a lot more control over our lives than we want to admit. We give the control to others and then choose to be the proverbial arm chair critic.

Only at our last breath, will some lament. While we still have life, I think we should live it to the fullest with full responsibility, and not outsource it.