RICH SOLUTIONS BLOG

The Eddy

I love the river as a metaphor. It’s useful in Organization Development (OD), but it is also useful in life. I will comment on it from time to time in this blog.

The Eddy is the place on the river where the water slows down or even comes to a stand still. It is considered the quiet place in the river. Eddies form below rocks, on the edges of the river or on the inside of the river bend.

As a kayaker, I rely on eddies. I seek them out as I make my way down river. In the world of kayaking, this is known “catching eddies.” That means the kayaker works to turn her boat into this quieter space. I will catch eddies in mid-rapid because they allow me to slow my boat down and take a good look downstream. From the quiet of my eddy, I can catch my breath, gather my wits and determine my next move. Being able to take a quick look downstream helps me adjust my course and make better decisions about how to run the river. Kayakers who learn to make the most of eddies are quickest to improve their skills. They utilize the river and are able to maintain control of their progress downriver. These habits allow the kayaker to reach her goal of making it safely to the bottom of the rapid.

To me, the comparison to our organizations is clear. The organization is like the kayak. The pace of the organization is often moving so fast that we don’t take time to consider the wisdom of our choices. If we slow down, even just a little bit, we can reflect on whether we need a course correction or whether we can proceed full steam ahead. However, the organization needs to be thoughtful and targeted on how and when to make those pauses.

For example, organizations that take the time to create a strategic plan or even a shorter version of goal setting have a clearer sense of where they are headed. They establish priorities and develop a clear sense of where they are headed. They use benchmarks as their eddies to assess where they are in the process, whether the path they have determined is still the right path and whether they need to take other measures to reach their outcomes. Better yet, organizations that make a habit out of periodically assessing where they are, what is working and what is not remain more agile in shifting course and are poised to be more successful in their outcomes.

Like a skillful kayaker moving downstream, the skillful organization move deliberately and with purpose.