We'll see

I was just writing a comment in response to some input on our recent Local Pages change on ActiveRain and I was reminded of a fable I read on one of my favorite blogger's blog. The fable goes like this:

A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.

All the neighbors came by saying, “I'm so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We'll see.”

A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses. The man and his son corraled all 21 horses.

All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We'll see.”

One of the wild horses kicked the man's only son, breaking both his legs.

All the neighbors came by saying, “I'm so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We'll see.”

The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer's son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.

All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We'll see.”

Successfully running ActiveRain requires us to constantly push and redefine ourselves. Sometimes the changes we make and the risks we take are clear winners; other times, not so much.  Because of this belief, we've done our best to create a corporate culture that is comfortable with trying new things, knowing that mistakes are okay. A failed execution does not equal a failed employee.

In the case of the recent changes to the Local Pages, I encourage everyone to continue to provide us with your insights and suggestions on how we can do better, while at the same time, also taking a step back and assuming a "We'll see" position knowing that you may not be privy to knowing the complete strategy and vision behind the changes.

*Photo courtesy of Stuck in Customs via Creative Commons license.