Seth writes a nice riff about pilots and how the need for a person with these skills is rapidly diminishing. He's right, especially in the business of care and relationships.
Piloting and other life preserving occupations like heart surgery depend on precision and order to get the job done right. 20 feet or 5 millimeters might do someone in. And, the middle of a landing approach is no time to think about taking chances and doing it a different way. But, there really aren't many jobs out there that require this sort of discipline...never were. Companies were just hung up on the command and control way of doing things...management was in charge, management was smart and management knows best. Well, that's all changed, hasn't it.
The art of building relationships and caring for people relies on, no requires, you to take chances, to step out of bounds and to improvise. That's what people want...to feel important, like the world revolves around them, at least for the day.
Occasionally, we need piloting skills to get us through the day. Accuracy requires focus and discipline...that's what pilots are good at. I should know...I am one. But, in terms of caring for our guest and being the best at what we do, we should looking for ways to turn things upside down and to change the rules. Being 20 feet off course in our business isn't going to hurt anyone. In fact, it might just lead to a new and better way of doing things.