The following is an excerpt from the “Hawaii edition” of “The Krehbiel Letter.”
Maps. When Europeans first met Polynesians, they were astonished to find them scattered across an enormous ocean, and befuddled about how they were able to traverse such distances. It’s still not entirely clear how they did it. The attempts by Europeans to learn Polynesian navigation seem to have been hindered by the fact that Europeans thought of maps and locations in terms of fixed references like longitude and latitude, while Polynesians may have thought in terms of the process of getting from one island to another. Concepts like north and south may have been less useful than “with the wind” or “toward the mountain.”
Lesson. There are many ways to look at the same information. Learn to conceptualize data, processes, and solutions from completely different points of view. A radical change in perspective might give you and your customers a competitive advantage.
The tyranny of the present. The Polynesians not only settled islands separated by enormous distances, but claimed to have travelled between them in the not-too-distant past. By the time they met Europeans, that art seems to have been lost, and it’s hard to imagine (even today) how it could have been done with the technology they had. So … are the stories true?
Lesson. The world changes. Something that seems impossible today might have been possible under different circumstances. For example, if there were more sea turtles, whales, or migratory birds to follow.
Kids today can hardly conceive how my generation was able to meet and do things without cell phones. Keep an open mind about what’s possible and what data can be applied to a problem.
Also, you never know when you might gain or lose a tool that’s crucial to your business. Be prepared to make contingency plans.
Links
