What a Boat, a Rock and an Oar Say About Navigating Tricky Moments at Work
Picture yourself in a canoe on a fast-moving river. The current is pulling you forward, but the water is full of surprises. Up ahead there is a large rock sitting in the middle of the flow. You cannot move it. You cannot go through it. It is simply there, shaping the water around it.
At work, these rocks are the obstacles that slow us down or stop us moving forward. They might be a stubborn process, a long-standing habit, or a difficult situation that will not shift just because we want it to.
When we hit one of these rocks, we usually respond in one of two ways.
1. Throw the oar out
This is change at its most extreme. You let go of the oar and the river takes you. It is fluid and uncertain. At its best, it creates space for others to step in, take responsibility, and make decisions. But it can also be risky. Sometimes we do not know there is a waterfall just a few metres down the river.
2. Keep hitting the rock
This is control taken to the limit. Our instinct is to keep hitting the rock until something gives. At work, this sounds like “leave it with me” or “I’ve got it” and then jumping in to sort it out yourself.
This is where the monkey comes in. A monkey is an unfinished task or problem. When someone hands it to you, you now own it. Carry enough of them and you spend all your time feeding other people’s monkeys instead of focusing on your own work.
In this mode, we keep trying the same approach, hoping for a different result. It is like using a hammer for every job when what we really need is a screwdriver.
The goal: Paddle the middle
We often treat change and control as an either-or choice. The truth is it is a both-and. The aim is to bounce off one side and then the other, using the right amount of each at the right time. Sometimes we need to let go. Sometimes we need to take the oar and steer. The skill is knowing which will keep us moving without tipping the canoe or going over the falls.
What Holding On Looks Like
Holding on is not about grabbing every problem and making it yours. It is about applying purposeful control where it matters most.
Come with a plan, not just a problem Help your team move forward by pairing the issue with a proposed way forward. Here is one question that helps when the team stalls.
Own the right monkeys Keep the tasks that genuinely belong on your back, and hand the rest to where they belong. Here is how to work out which is which.
Set clear goals Control can mean providing clarity, not control for control’s sake. This goal-setting upgrade works.
Focus on what matters most When the noise is loud, control comes from knowing what to prioritise. These four tools help.
Make the decision When the risk is high or the way forward is clear, step in and choose. Here is how to get decision-making right.
Be specific in delegation Control is not doing it all. It is making sure others know exactly what is expected. These questions make it clear.
What Letting Go Looks Like
Letting go is not abandoning the boat. It is creating enough space for momentum and for others to do their part.
Write it out Brain dump for ten minutes. No filter. Then delete it or throw the paper away.
Walk it out Fresh air has a way of resetting your thinking. Here is why.
Talk it out Choose someone you trust. Why it matters.
Breathe it out A pause, well timed, can change the course of a conversation. Like this.
Space it out Sometimes the best move is no move for now. Buy yourself time.
We cannot avoid every rock or predict every bend in the river. But when we use change and control together, we keep the canoe upright, keep our crew engaged, and have a much better chance of reaching our destination without losing the view.