Commit to the destination, adapt to the moment

This post was originally published on Forbes Nonprofit Council.

You never know where learning will come from. Recently, what was meant to be a simple three-hour sightseeing trip in Dhaka turned into quite an adventure. We set out to explore Ahsan Manzil Palace, followed by Lalbagh Fort nearby, aware that traffic might slow us on the eight-mile journey.

As our driver merged into the swirl of tuk-tuks, motorcycles, buses, horse-drawn carts, rickshaws and brave, if reckless, pedestrians, it quickly became clear that the journey itself was going to offer as much insight into Bangladesh as any destination. No matter how long we drove through the bustling melee, the map insisted we still had 50 minutes to go.

After well past an hour, our driver pulled over to refuel and check the tires. Then, with only a brief reference to “night school,” he handed over the wheel to another driver. The new driver called out landmarks, stopped again to adjust the tires and once even lifted the hood to give the engine a good shake. Our confidence dipped and rose in equal measure. We kept checking in with each other, using humor to soften the uncertainty and asking if we should just go back. But we stayed committed to our goal. We wanted to see the palace.

When we finally arrived, we learned about the palace and its place in Bangladesh’s history before accepting that our plan for a second destination was not in the cards. After following a local guide through the fading light to reconnect with our driver, we came upon the Sadarghat port, offering sights of local life and culture along the Buriganga River. The return drive was, unsurprisingly, much shorter. In the end, five hours of travel for one destination. Not the plan. Yet none of us regretted it. The experience itself was memorable and meaningful.

We shared the tale with one of our colleagues afterward, and she pointed out that there was learning tucked inside the chaos. She was right. The experience had reminded us of important lessons about nonprofit work:

• Stay committed to the goal, even when the process is messy. Nonprofit work rarely follows the map. The journey can be slow, uncertain and, at times, frustrating. What matters is knowing why you are moving and staying in conversation with your team. Progress is not only the arrival; it is the learning that happens along the way.
• Teams shift, and that is okay. Our original driver stepped out, and someone else stepped in. A new perspective changed the experience. Teams evolve. People rotate roles. At times, a fresh hand on the wheel is exactly what is needed.
• Humor and humanity help us navigate risk and uncertainty. There were no seat belts. The tires needed constant attention. The route was changing. Yet we laughed. That laughter created space to stay curious, not panicked. In nonprofit work, there will be times when it feels like everything around us is moving faster than we can track. Remember to breathe. Remember to smile. Sometimes all you need is to shake the engine and add a little air.

In the end, we saw what we set out to see. We also became part of the story. And that, in its own way, was the real learning.