Effective
Engineering
e-Newsletter
– 3/06/2008
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eN-080306:
Serendipity Can Change Your Life!
By Tom
Dennis – President, Effective Engineering [tdennis@effectiveeng.com]
My son, Jeff,
graduated from college a number of years ago with a degree in Music
Business; that is he concentrated on music performance (he plays the bass
trombone), but also specialized in business aspects of the music industry.
After graduating, he found that music performance and music business
opportunities were scarce, and so took what has grown to be a rewarding
career in a non-music business area. Still, he greatly missed being able to
play his trombone regularly. One evening he met some friends at a local
watering hole, commiserating with them on the lack of music performance
opportunities. At that particular time and in that particular place (where
he seldom ever went), he got a tap on his shoulder from a complete stranger
who said he overheard their conversation and happened to be the leader of a
regional big-band that happened to play a gig on the town common that
evening (that Jeff was totally unaware of) and were relaxing in the nearby
bar afterward. This stranger said that they were always looking for talent,
especially a bass trombonist, and offered him an opportunity to audition for
a place in the big band. Jeff took that opportunity and happily played with
the band for about four years. When he decided he had had it with New
England weather and housing costs, and moved to Arizona, it turned out that
the big band leader had a brother in Phoenix who directed two big bands out
there. So Jeff was actually playing in two bands out there even before he
started work. This is an example of serendipity (almost serendipity
squared!), and it certainly changed Jeff’s life. He’s now playing in big
bands, a Ska band, and has many other opportunities to continue his love of
playing music, and this truly helped him to adapt to his new home much more
easily.
Serendipity is sometimes defined as “good luck in making unexpected and
fortunate discoveries.” Julius Comroe Jr., a biomedical researcher,
defined it as, “looking in a haystack for a needle and discovering a
Farmer’s Daughter.” My son didn’t find a farmer’s daughter, but still
encountered an opportunity that was unlikely, at best, if he hadn’t been
sitting in the right seat in the right bar on the right night at the right
time. It’s funny how life works at times. The key is to recognize that
serendipitous moment and seize it!
So where and how does serendipity strike? Well, it can happen almost
anywhere and at any time. It can happen at a friend’s wedding, at a
neighborhood block party, at a work-related or work-unrelated conference or
trade show, at a networking event, in a meeting with a potential client or
customer, at a football or baseball game. You never know when serendipity
will strike. But you do need to recognize the opportunity that it presents
and that it can change your life, for good or for bad. Too often, such a
moment is never even recognized at all, much less recognizing the
opportunity it presents. It is critical to recognize a serendipitous
moment, and to seize the opportunity. Clearly you want to think about it
and the opportunity it presents, but if you hesitate too long, or think too
deeply, the opportunity will likely pass. You will generally have the time
to carefully reflect after you’ve seized the opportunity, and then make a
reasoned judgment, but if you don’t seize it when it pops up, it may likely
be gone forever.
These e-Newsletters are targeted primarily at engineers and engineering
managers, although most of the topics are far more broadly applicable to
almost all people in almost all professions. Engineers tend to think
rationally and logically, and to weigh the pros and cons, the plusses and
minuses of virtually everything. We tend to think through things carefully
and try to “calculate” the impact of everything. This can be a good
trait that makes good sense in many areas, but it’s also one of the reasons
we have reputations of being a bit too boring, or too orderly, or too staid,
or too anal, or not willing to take chances. But when serendipity strikes,
you really need to seize the moment, even if, after reflection, you later
decide that it doesn’t make sense for you. There are times to move
carefully and there are moments where you must decide and act quickly.
Serendipitous moments call for quick action.
So how do you prepare for this? Well, you don’t! You can’t add serendipity
to your “to do” list or to your project plan. What you can do is
recognize that “serendipity happens” (and doesn’t this sound better
than “sh*# happens”?
J),
and be open to it and willing to recognize the opportunity it can present,
and act quickly on it.
How can it happen to you? Well, it could be a random circumstance, such as
happened with Jeff. In such a case, recognize it, go with the flow, and,
hopefully, enjoy the ride. It could also be an unexpected outcome of some
of the work you are doing. Rather than simply saying, “that sucks”
and moving on, be prepared to say, “that’s interesting” and explore
what this unexpected outcome could mean, pro and con. Isaac Asimov said,
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!”, but “That’s funny …”. Such unexpected
outcomes may well be your serendipitous moment, if you can recognize them as
such.
In life, you never know what is just around the corner. You can plan your
life to the best of your ability, but life has a way of throwing you some
curves. Some of these are the normal things that happen to us all – a
snowstorm, a minor car accident, a delayed plane flight, an experiment that
just fails. Some are problems that can hit us hard – unexpected health
problems for you or a family member, an unexpected layoff, serious financial
problems. To the best of our ability, we need to adapt and move on. But
occasionally, something good comes from out of the blue, totally
unexpected. If you can recognize it, and seize the opportunity, this is
serendipity, and it can change your life!
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Effective Engineering Consulting Services, All Rights Reserved
