When preparing to saddle a horse with a western style saddle, the pad that is placed against the horse’s coat is tented. Meaning, the front edge it is raised a few inches from the horse’s shoulders to create a void. You can see a similar feature incorporated into the design of a saddle. The purpose is to leave room for the pad and saddle to settle into place once the rider is seated and riding commences.

How might we leave room within our lives, schedules, strategic plans,job descriptions, and budgets to accommodate for the unexpected and ballast that will inevitably be added to our projects? A skin tight fit might be perfect for race day aerodynamics but may be a liability over the course of an expedition.