A minefield is scary
A mine is a bomb that someone placed below the surface. When you step on that bomb, it explodes. A minefield is a field of multiple mines.
When you are in one, each step is a reminder that it could be your last.
I look at projects like minefields. The stakes are lower, of course. However, when stepping into the unknown, each step feels like the step that blows the project up.
That’s why we have to make sure we don’t put any mines down ourselves.
This happens two ways:
- Put them down in front of us – we self-sabotage, putting things in our way, so we don’t reach the finish line.
- Put them behind us – Don’t communicate, don’t document, and try to horde knowledge. Our selfish survival decision hurts the team (and yourself) in the long run.
Daring to dream is hard enough. Don’t make things harder.