Project Alchemy Part Six: Clarify the 'Critical Inflection' Point

Project Alchemy Part Six: Clarify the 'Critical Inflection' Point

In major disasters, it's common to be able to review what happened and point to a critical moment when things could have changed. It's that go/no go moment when things could still have been salvaged, if someone had pulled the plug or chosen a different path. 

While there may have been a number of different decisions leading up to this moment, the project or relationship or endeavor could still have succeeded if things have taken a different turn.  In business terminology, this is sometimes called a "critical inflection point."

We've done a fine-toothed comb review of 'failure', looking for all the multitudes of different decisions and factors that contributed to the overall failure.  But right now, I'd like you to seek out that one last moment when things could have turned out differently.

Maybe this is a point where you decided to go ahead with the product or the project, even though the initial feedback from your audience was less than stellar.  In a relationship, maybe it's when you chose to go on a business trip versus attending a family reunion. 

If you were trying to lose weight, maybe it's when you went on the all inclusive cruise to Alaska instead of the spa vacation.  Before this point in time things were headed on one trajectory; afterwords, things took a different turn in direction.

The reason we're looking for this point is that it's important to be able to read the clues and clarify them while you're in the midst of the process.  You need to be able to recognize when things are changing, when the market is shifting, a relationship is moving in a different direction, or the winds are turning.

In the future, naturally you're going to face other situations that can lead to a failure. There is no other way to say it, other than it's a part of life.  But understanding how to recognize the clues leading up to that failure is important.  And equally important is knowing when you have an opportunity to save your project.

So go ahead and review your particular 'failure'.  Was there a critical inflection point? Hindsight is 20/20, so in retrospect, look for that moment in time when if you just made a different choice, things might be different now.  One thing I have to say here, is that in my work, intuition is key.  We absolutely have to acknowledge our intuitions, those little nudges and niggles that stir up from the inside.  There is a lot to be said for the accuracy of gut instinct.

Sometimes the critical inflection points aren't so easy to identify.  You may have to trace back threads of decisions and timelines to see when things could have shifted.  It's worth the effort to do so, as knowing how to recognize these problems can save you future troubles.

No one likes to admit that failure is imminent.  After all, you've invested all sorts of time and resources into the relationship project.  Pulling the plug can be seen as a sign of defeat.  But seeing the handwriting on the wall and not doing anything about it can cost you a lot, in many ways.

The next part of our journey brings us to Part Seven; Where Did You Go?

*If you wish to view the Intro and first two parts of this Business Alchemy series, you can do so here.  The previous article leading up to this one can be found here.