And too many people…

A circle of hunters around one bird on a Scottish moor can be a dangerous situation. BEWARE.

That metaphor was in fact a real scene some years back and I recall it all too frequently in various contexts.

Recently, I was one of several people involved in a well-balanced transaction concerning a non-profit organization. The transaction was not particularly complicated, BUT as is often the case when several people are involved, suddenly it almost blew up.

The simple transaction, which was a clear “win/win” from all external perspectives, became disrupted.

The culprit: too many voices whispering to each other, all presumably eager to help the deal advance from their point of view.

Like a game of “telephone,” messages got skewed, and, as a result, misunderstandings flared. The ensuing chaos threatened to derail the whole thing.

That was when the shotgun metaphor became apparent to me again. Most of the guns (or, in this case, mouths) were disarmed, and things straightened out VERY quickly.

It is too bad that we all almost shot ourselves in the foot. If we had, the bird would have flown on.

What I learned was ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYES on the bird.

Nothing else matters.

Also, never shoot your fellow hunters — that does not help anyone except the bird!