For Indianapolis Colts fans, this past Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots was a sweet victory.  So why are many game-attending patrons experiencing post-game regret?

For those of you who missed the game Sunday night, the Colts spent the better half of four quarters battling a seemingly unstoppable offensive and defensive Patriot line. In fact, with less than ten minutes remaining on the clock and the Colts seventeen points behind, many ticket holders streamed out of Lucas Oil Stadium in apparent surrender. However, turns out their judgment on the loss was a tad premature.  As Phil Richards summarized in the Indianapolis Star, the turning point in the game came when one play went catastrophically wrong:

New England coach Bill Belichick opted to go for a first down on fourth-and-2 from the Patriots 28-yard line with 2:08 to play. Three plays after Colts safety Melvin Bullitt hammered running back Kevin Faulk down after a 1-yard gain, Peyton Manning’s 1-yard pass to Wayne made the Colts 35-34 winners.

The victory echoed throughout the entire stadium as the remaining fans celebrated in the stands. Unfortunately for those who left early, the victory was bittersweet. Though the win was a fantastic display of talent and excitement, the self-inflicted absence of many patrons brought feelings of sadness. According to Daniel Stokes, who attended the game but celebrated the Colts victory in his car while driving on I465, “I should have never underestimated Peyton Manning. No matter what the circumstances, he always recovers and brings a win. I’m so mad at myself for leaving when I did!”

Having doubt is a natural feeling and one that provokes a reactive state of mind rather than a thoughtful, reflective one. So in the end, taking immediate action, whether rational or not, seems to become the thing to do in unstable or unpredictable situations. In any industry there are ups and downs, wins and losses, yet no matter what, its important never to abandon a venture simply because it appears susceptible to failure. By doing so, you may miss out on limited-time opportunities or worse yet, invaluable experiences.

If your company abandons projects often or operates re-actively versus proactively during times of uncertainty, perhaps Slaughter Development’s Business Process Modeling program is a beneficial alternative. Contact us today to learn more.

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