A few days ago I wrote about finding inspiration. It got me thinking about goals and when it’s time to change the destination.

If you read the original post, you’ll notice that I didn’t talk about changing the destination or goal. The purpose of applying disruptive thinking to our strategies is not to come up with a new destination. It’s to find a better way to get there. Often times when you hear about companies pivoting in their strategies, you find that they have still remained true to a higher goal. A disruptive idea may lead to new stops and opportunity along the way. These may become smaller micro-goals, but we’re still driving towards the original destination. It’s tempting to chase shinny objects and there is a seductive force to emerging technologies. You need to be realistic about the reasons your chasing it. Is it something your interested in on your own, or does it contribute to the betterment of your goal. If you have passion for an idea follow it, but don’t fall into the trap of forcing something that doesn’t fit. Worse yet is abandoning a solid strategy for personal reasons.

There will be cases when an idea is divergent from the original goal, but valid for the company. Don’t abandon the idea. Flesh it out so you can come back to it later. It may even be worth a minor expedition to learn more. Remember that those larger goals will change in time. The learnings from that divergent thought may become the seed for the next major destination. Never abandon a good idea. Give it care and let it incubate. Learn to know when it’s the right time, place and problem to hatch it.

There can be a fine line between knowing when to pivot in a new direction and when to keep your eye on the prize. A good strategy with measurable outcomes, will provide clarity and insight for making those decisions.