Yesterday's best practices have become today's quicksand.

Kidney stones 0 out of 5 stars: Do not recommend. I recognized the symptoms shortly after they started from previous excursions into the pain cave. A trip to the ER provided the needed data: 1.6mm. I wouldn't need surgery. The stone will eventually pass.

Every experience offers an opportunity for reflection and a chance for examination through different lenses. This occasion allowed me to reflect on my program management career. I realized that when a new direction was needed, we lacked the ambition to discuss and decide. The bureaucracy of the budget cycle and congressional and stakeholder approvals required to pivot weighed down a nimble response.

Ambition only sprang from time spent in the pain cave. Failed performance, budget overruns, and blown schedules were the motivation to make the needed changes. But there is another way if one is willing. Wrestling with uncomfortable questions in pursuit of honest answers is a catalyst that inspires the ambition to change.

What conversations are we avoiding?

What assumptions are treated as unquestionable?

What parts of our shared identity create blind spots?

Whose voices are ignored?

Organizations don't intentionally drive into disarray or failure. Instead, they find themselves there after following tried and true practices, processes, and assumptions initially developed to bring about success. However, just like my inattention to my daily diet, things can get out of whack, and painful stones develop, indicating a problem. There is an immense opportunity for growth and change when asking questions and then patiently listening to all the answers.

Yesterday's best practices have become today's quicksand. The ambition to ask hard questions pinches, but it is less painful than neglecting to address the issues and remaining mired in the ineffective practices of today. And one more thing... drink more water.

What question is your organization waiting for you to ask?