This past Saturday, my wife Mary Catherine and I participated in an orienteering meet at Chattahoochee Bend State Park. Despite the torrential downpour, waterlogged flood plains, and cold wind, we managed to find all of our control points. We were out there for quite a while, but we eventually finished the course. Many people who had signed up for the event did not show up, and many who did show up failed to complete the course. On the drive back home, I reflected on the similarities between orienteering and running a business.
Orienteering is a competitive sport that involves using a map and compass to navigate through an unfamiliar terrain, such as a forest or wilderness area. The objective of orienteering is to find a series of control points marked on the map and placed on the ground in the field, in the correct order, and as quickly as possible. Participants are required to use their navigation skills to find their way through the course, which may involve crossing rough terrain, waterways, and other obstacles. Orienteering requires a combination of physical fitness, navigation skills, and strategic planning.
Mary Catherine & Joe Domaleski compete in an orienteering meet at Chattachooche Bend State Park on 4/8/23. Photo/Joe Domaleski
On a whim, I signed up for an orienteering meet last year. I’ve always enjoyed using a map and compass, a skill I first learned in scouting as a teenager. When I was in the Army, we did a lot of military land navigation with a map and compass. But now, I’m middle-aged and it had been years since I had picked up a map and compass. The orienteering meet was a blast, and I was surprised at how quickly the navigation skills came back to me. When I came home from the meet, I told Mary Catherine she’d have to try it out with me. Now, we’re both hooked and have spent the past year enjoying orienteering meets on the weekends with the Georgia Orienteering Club. In order to give you a taste of the sport, here’s a short video we made while orienteering out at Panola Mountain State Park a few weeks ago.
Orienteering is a lot like trail running and fast hiking, but instead of following a trail, you get to blaze your own path. Indeed, there are a lot of similarities between the sport of orienteering and running a business. Here are some business lessons you can learn from the sport of orienteering:
- Navigation and Planning: In both orienteering and business, success often depends on effective navigation and planning. In orienteering, participants must use a map and compass to find their way through unfamiliar terrain, while in business, leaders must navigate through complex markets and industries. Effective planning and navigation skills are critical in both activities to reach the desired outcome.
- Decision-making and Adaptability: Orienteering and business both require quick decision-making and adaptability. In orienteering, athletes must make quick decisions about the best route to take to reach the next control point, while in business, leaders must make decisions based on changing market conditions, customer needs, and internal factors. The ability to adapt and make quick decisions can determine the success of a runner or a business.
- Perseverance and Resilience: Orienteering and business both require perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. In orienteering, runners may encounter difficult terrain, weather conditions, and navigation errors. This past weekend at the Chattahoochee Bend meet was a good test of our perseverance, as we waded through floodplains in the cold rain. in business, leaders may face setbacks, financial challenges, and other obstacles. The ability to bounce back from these challenges is critical in both activities.
- Teamwork and Communication: In orienteering and business, success often depends on effective teamwork and communication. In orienteering, runners may compete as part of a team, with each member playing a critical role in the group’s success. In business, effective communication and collaboration among team members can lead to more efficient decision-making and better outcomes. I’m fortunate that I have a great teammate at home and a great team at work.
If you like the outdoors and want to develop a skill that’s fun and useful, I can’t recommend orienteering highly enough. Each meet has courses for all skills levels, including first-timers. While you’re out on the course, you might also find similarities between orienteering and business leadership. Indeed, orienteering offers many lessons for running a business, as both activities require planning, adaptability, resilience, teamwork, and communication to achieve success.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]