Control vs Surrender
By Caroline Carter
control
/kənˈtrəʊl/
noun
1. 1.
the power to influence or direct people’s behaviour or the course of events.
“the whole operation is under the control of a production manager”
surrender
/səˈrɛndə/
verb
1. 1.
stop resisting to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.
“over 140 rebels surrendered to the authorities”
2. 2.
give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand.
“in 1815 Denmark surrendered Norway to Sweden”
Does surrender have to mean “giving up” or “accepting defeat” rather acceptance and allowing yourself to ‘go with the flow’?
I like to think of a Production Manager more as a conductor in an orchestra, bringing out the best and the right skill sets to the fore, as and when needed to ensure the symphony is in Harmony. It’s less dominant and forceful, and more like magic!
I’ve been doing a lot of reflection this year, it’s been a particularly difficult one for me.
Instead of blindly following what I thought was right, I should have asked trusted advisors for their council based on decades of experience. To me, Surrender is about stopping resisting… not to an opponent or authority, but to events and circumstances that are out of our control! If we try to resist the fact that Eskom is a mess, and Transnet is in a mess, we will be expending and wasting energy that could be better utilised elsewhere. Eskom , Transnet (Rail & Port) are increasingly dysfunctional and are having a huge impact on mining organisations’ ability to deliver to their clients on time. It is what it is! That’s not to say it’s alright, or we shouldn’t expect more of them, however, right now, in this moment, we have to accept what is, because it is!
It’s only once we surrender this way, that we can reclaim our energy, decide where to focus it, and consciously focus our energy on what we CAN control!
We mine ourselves just like we mine the earth. Whilst doing self-reflection and growth, we have to dig deep. We have to sift through the assay that remains. Analyse where the real value is and choose what to discard once we’ve got to the ‘gold’. And then, repeat, repeat, repeat.
Sometimes what we dig up appears to be of no value whatsoever. Upon closer examination however, just the process of digging away ‘useless’ ore, is what reveals the next ‘great reef’, that we wouldn’t have know was there, had we not done the ‘useless’ digging! So, as with the journey of self-development, so goes the journey to prosperity for mining companies; we can either sit on the wall complaining about external factors beyond our control, or we can shift our focus inwards, to what we CAN control… Improving and Increasing Stockyard/Stockpile Efficiency, Productivity and Top and Bottom-Line profits, for example.
If you could extract efficiency gains of +25%, would that make a difference to your overall well-being as a mine? Would it afford you a greater degree of control? What about the ability to track the quality of material into and out of the stockyard, and within each stockpile? That alone would result in:
- More efficient blending when stacking
- Reclaim awareness. Know in advance what quality outcomes will be achieved for each reclaim option.
- Optimised quality control for export
- Optimised efficiency outcomes for steel and power plants
- Optimised environmental outcome
- Improving and Increasing Stockyard/Stockpile Efficiency, Productivity and Top and Bottom Line PROFITS
The point is, where we direct our focus matters! Not because being in control makes us feel more powerful, or because surrender means giving up; it’s simply about choosing what to accept, and what to direct our attention to – the things that are within our control.
The name Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings (RSPH) comes from choosing where to direct our focus. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, we have chosen to focus on the industry where our expertise lies, and the results speak for themselves.
Earlier this year we won the award for Best Business Value (ROI) at the IS3 XChange User Conference for the Operational Downtime project undertaken with Mafube Coal. Mafube Coal Mining realised the benefit of evaluating and implementing an automated system to manage their plant equipment downtimes, as a foundation to embark on their business and digital transformation journey. The creation of a like-minded partnership based on Mafube Coal’s mining needs between IS3 and RSPH focused specifically on clearly understanding the business needs and implementing proven best-in-class AVEVA technologies to achieve the desired results.
Making projects like this one successful happens when we focus on what is within our control, and being aware of our own limitations, surrendering control of what lies outside our own expertise, and carefully selecting the right partner to take control of the areas where their expertise lies. It’s this balance that ensures our clients thrive!
Look us up to find out how we can journey with you to thriving!
