Extreme Ice Climbing & Running a Small Business

Small Business Tips

December 1

by surepayroll

Frozen and Fearless

Motivational speakers have used rock climbing ad nauseam as a metaphor in business and other challenging endeavors. “Reaching the pinnacle,” “another mountain to climb,” and even “all downhill from here” are clichés that have littered the corporate lingo for decades. Why do these analogies continue to stick? Mostly because the comparison between managing a business and trekking up a steep incline is still an apt one, as anyone who has ever felt the fatigue from a long climb and the frustration from running a business can attest. In the past couple of years, organizational leadership has been especially difficult, which is why it might be more appropriate to make analogy with an especially extreme type of climbing: ice climbing.

Ice climbing, standard climbing with a twist, consists of what you might expect: scaling icy inclines or walls. Sometimes, the ice is coating an outdoor, natural rock wall (alpine ice). In other cases, a frozen waterfall or hillside creek forms a surface solid enough to support the body weight of climbers (water ice). In the case of the former, ice climbing is a necessary component in the ascent of any giant mountain, as noted climbers such as Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mt. Everest, have experienced. Nonetheless, ice climbing demands that climbers attach their equipment into chunks of ice that could at any time break. Calling the activity “risky” is an understatement. Not every climb is death-defying, but certainly this hobby requires a higher risk threshold than, for example, a round of golf.

Four parallels between ice climbing and business stand out:

Measurable Achievement

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Ice climbers compete with themselves and others to do one of two things: ascend higher, taller ice walls than they or their competitors have before, or conquer a uniform-size ice wall faster than they or their competitors have before. In either case, the results are determined with numbers. By the same token, business leaders have several metrics they can use to see what they’ve accomplished. It could be as simple as looking at a balance sheet. Perhaps it’s the number of new store locations opened or the amount of funds poured in by investors in the past year. Whatever the number is, success is quantifiable and ostensible. Entrepreneurial accomplishment mirrors the feeling of standing at the top of an ice wall, looking down, taking a deep breath and admiring what you’ve accomplished.

Proving the Doubters Wrong

Entrepreneurs and small-business pioneers are often labeled as imprudent or crazy, especially in the challenging economic climate of the past two years. Without question, starting a business involves tremendous risk, at the very least losing personal resources and at the worst losing respect and facing embarrassment. Similarly, elite ice climbers face a stigma. Though people might marvel at their deft skills and fearlessness, they also probably think to themselves, “That’s so dangerous. I can’t believe he/she is doing that.” They risk injury – and in extreme cases, death – to pull off their feats. Sometimes, the biggest doubter to conquer is internal. Climbers, like some business leaders, approach their endeavor with the mindset that they have something to prove to themselves, that they must push themselves beyond their preconceived limits of possibility.

Critical Thinking

Ice climbing is not just physically grueling; it’s also mentally demanding. Climbers must survey the ice above them and pick the correct spots to hammer in their axes. A careless move could result in frozen matter spraying in the climber’s face before the structure they’re attached to cracks, crumbles and collapses. They listen intently for the sounds of the ice and use techniques to determine the ice’s steadiness and whether or not it’s safe to advance. Business leaders must do the same. They must study their audience and market before each move, calculating the effects of their decisions.

Partnership

Ice climbers seldom set out completely alone to face their frozen challenges. They usually pair with a partner or multiple teammates who will control the rope at the bottom of the climb, a process known as belaying. In fact, ice climbing is often a group activity, with a lead climber creating the pathway to the top and others following behind. In the process, a partner or teammate has as much responsibility in safety and success as the climber has. Partnership might be even more important in business. A network of people, tools, software and technology helps businesses accomplish everyday tasks so they can succeed and work safely – from a front line sales staff that rakes in new clients to an outside solution that handles administrative tasks such as HR and payroll or if you are brave visit Extreme Payroll.

About Ice Climbing

Check out the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation for information on the sport and ways to get started or visit any of the resources below.

Ice Climbing Resources:

Climbing Magazines:

Did we miss any ice climbing resources? As we are sure we did and encourage you to please leave them in the comments below! And if you want to be impressed check out this video of Patrick Aufdenblatten, Ice Climbing Festival 2009.