by Jane A. Malkoff MSN RN NP
Is it better to do the right thing or to do things right? This recent pondering of Doing the Right Things vs. Doing Things Right reminded me of a saying I heard years ago. It goes like this; “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat”. (Sun Tzu). Some say tactical thinkers focus on doing things right while strategic thinkers focus on doing the right things. I would not want to have to choose between being either tactical or strategic in my line of work or in my daily life. I believe the two must go hand in hand or there would be a high price to pay.
Walking the earth with such a lofty goal as doing the right things while also doing things right seems like a virtuous path. I would want to be on that path. Yet, it feels overwhelming and it rings of the makings of a great warrior instead of an everyday person. Doing the right thing and doing things right are both primarily attempts to be good, not to harm, and not to feel the vulnerability of being wrong. This is certainly warrior material. I like the following definition of warrior; “A person who shows or has great vigor, courage, aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics”.
I suggest we are all warriors in our day to day life. If we recognized this propensity we could drastically reduce the feelings of being overwhelmed with the great responsibility of doing right things and doing things right. We are valiant warriors! I like that!
Our brains are driven to find the vigor and courage within ourselves. Sometimes we mistake this drive for a need to be right or maybe better put, to not be wrong. Keep in mind, “wrong” is not necessarily the opposite of “right”. “Wrong” could simply result from the fact “right” is a moving target. The vulnerability experienced when we are “wrong” is actually quite useful. It is useful because it serves to build the much needed arsenal of vigor and courage to continue to shoot for that moving target of “right” while at the same time keeping us humble.
What I want us to do when we have the chance to meet or to work together for a mutual client, or for yourself or for your loved one is to see vigor and courage in each other and know it is valiant. We will be able to listen to one another, find the right things to do and then set about doing them right. I like that!