And of course you prepare for that. You have a robust boat fit for the challenge.  You have your crew. You have your team. You have you. In truth you have whatever you need in the shape of your business for the size of the river we are now fighting to get through.

So what makes this bit of the river appear to be different? What's changed?

The way I would see the situation in sport is that it is as if the referee has changed the rules after the game has started - and its not even half time !   

Now we can complain as much as we like but what's the point? The rules are now the way they are! And this very perverse referee could well change the rules again! But we`ll probably not return to the ones we started with.

So we have to come to terms with that fast. That`s more to do wth attitude then apititude. What is the attitude in your team?

Do you remember the high jumper Dick Fosbury?

The situation in which high jump competitions were contested changed in a very unique way. The landing area changed from being a health hazzard to being really safe. The whole world saw that. So they continued to take care of the high jumping business the same way but now they were even more comfortable doing so! Fosbury looked at things differently. He was not too hot doing high jump the way everyone else did so he saw the changed landing area as a chance to high jump differently.  Having done so it brought him an Olympic Gold medal and everyone in the world has copied his techinque.

You see what hasn`t changed out there, is that we are in this changed game to win it. And we do just that when we exercise an even higher level of agility in being adaptable in the face of change and being creative in making change happen. The Fosbury story confims that being so produces a winning difference.

Look at what you do and what your team is doing to gain advantages within these different rules. Keep the necessary skills strong for what you do and what the team does. Then look at how things are being done to gain more advantage. Whether you are in the lead and are applying pressure, or are feeling the pressure, think what might be done differently and what different things can be done.

Then just do it.

I have been working on a new presentation to coach your team through this. In doing so, I thought it would be useful to look at some of the stuff  that comes with the situation we are in so I`ve included managing present attitudes and preparation in adversity, increasing light and reducing heat in creating a climate to make progress.

This means looking at the experiences of those involved, whether leading the process or having been led through it. Owning a winning mindset is where we have to get to fast so the presentation considers what helps and hinders progress - in terms of changing attitudes and perceptions not only in dealing effectively and successfully in today`s arenas, but building a winning stategy for tomorrow`s.