Haven’t all of us felt like we were in the middle of an epic tug of war? Stuck in the middle of two opposing forces pulling us back and forth in either direction?
Sometimes it is simply outside influences triggering inward emotional responses, perhaps anger at another driver, misplacing an important item or document, missing a flight.
Sometimes it is a pyschosomatic tug of war between mind and body, the “flesh is weak” kind of thing. Sometimes it’s a tug of war between thoughts on the one hand and feelings on the other.
One of the greatest overarching tug of wars that has been debated between scientists and others for centuries is between the opposing forces of nature and nurture.
What about the tug of war between making appointments and setting schedules at one extreme end and cancellations and disruptions to schedules found on the opposite end?
In every economy, there is a constant push pull of two forces at work (and it isn’t just supply and demand). It’s GETTING THE WORK vs DOING THE WORK
Think of this as the old see saw or teeter totter phenomenon. The up and down, back and forth motion of getting and doing income producing activities: getting the working and doing the work. Marketing/Manufacturing. Unfortunately, sometimes there is a tension or tug of war between these two forces. They are like the roots and branches of a tree, both needing attention.
What about starting a business? Often a start-up or business launch is a lot like a boat launch. Cash flow on the one hand and keeping up with the competition often creates an internal tug of war. It is the exasperating
feeling of one foot on the boat and one foot on the dock, as the boat appears to be pulling away.
And this balancing act battlefield of what often seems like an either/or proposition can be a tug
of war battlefield.
QUALITY QUANTITY
RASING CAPITAL FINDING CUSTOMERS
MANUFACTURING MARKETING
IN PERSON INTERNET
PRODUCT PITCH
COMPENSATION COLLABORATION
GROUPISM CAPITALISM
Think of the tug of war in a networking group environment. Setting a meeting at a set time of the week and a set location is more about logistics and convenience than it is about an optimal environment.
More importantly, the structured socializing process of a networking group is not really a natural or ideal social setting. It may appear that way when so many individuals gather together, at the same time and place, but the structure while convenient is not the best atmosphere for social interaction.
If the networking organization highest priority is to expand membership ranks, accommodating individual needs and preferences isn’t a priority. It becomes a tug of war between expanding ranks and individual
development.
For many tug of wars, it is a quality/quantity tug of war. Take catering, for example, in order to accommodate a large group of people, often the quality of the food is at a lower standard simply because the cost of
feeding a larger group outweighs the ability to provide a better gourmet selection. It becomes cafeteria catering, with an almost watered-down taste. It is the tug of war between budget and buffet.