Nothing's Impossible

Tis the season of hope, of dreams, of compassion, of thinking that things will be better for each of us in the future.  This year, I am seeing things a little differently for no specific reason, but just different.  Maybe it is because I have a senior in HS who will soon be leaving for college, with a sophomore in HS right behind him.  Maybe its the holiday lights, maybe I am just more aware of things this year than in years past.  

I had a conversation with a complete stranger over the phone the other day that gave me an epiphany of sorts.  While we working through some work related issues (she was working on a help desk in a contact center) we began small talking.  I found out the help desk was located in the same city as my beloved college Alma mater, Lawrence Kansas.  I mentioned to her that both my wife and I were alumni and that my oldest son had already been accepted there.  She mentioned to me that she and her husband had their first child who was now 2 years old.  We began talking about Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general.  Then it happened!

We spoke about how my boys had progressed to the age where they understood about Santa and weren't as impressed with all of the lights as they used to be.  She stated that her son was in complete awe of all of the lights and joy of this time of year.  We talked a little more but I had the greatest parenting/leadership lesson I have ever received.  When her son goes somewhere, his innocence and trust is placed with his parents that they will introduce him to positive new experiences.  It's like seeing the warm feelings that come over people the first time they see all the candles on a menorah lit up, or when a trail of lights is seen for the first time, a child is in awe.  As a parent, we often forget that life sometimes has jaded us, and we take for granted life's little experiences.  Our kids lives are full of firsts on a daily basis, especially when they are young.

As a leader, we often find ourselves making decisions but forgetting about the development aspect of a decision.  Critical thinking and evaluation lead to confident, well thought out decisions.  The most critical aspect of thinking and evaluation is experience and the outcomes of past decisions.  Just like a child seeing a holiday light for the first time or receiving a surprise gift, our teams are filled with the same awe when they see the results of their hard work.

For whatever reason, this year is a special year for me personally and professionally.  I have seen my children grow into solid young men; I have seen the team I lead more than double our customer base and become significantly more efficient; I have seen every team member extend and develop in some way.  It has been fun to be able to sit back and watch others talk about what has been developed with appreciation and allow each team member to celebrate their individual accomplishments.

It is easy for us to see how success and failure through our own lenses.  It is far more rewarding to see life through someone else's eyes though.  Be the encourager, the guide, the resource for others and remember it's not all about you.  This is easy to say, harder to do.  If you make the effort everyone wins!

Have a great week and an even better holiday season!

WTF???

WTF???  You can fill in the blanks for what those initials stand for.  However, they are initials for what all of us experience at some point in our day?

• Another driver cuts your off in an effort to make a yellow light so they can arrive at their destination sooner....  WTF???
• You are sitting in a meeting and you offer comments that are seemingly ignored.  Then what seems like just seconds later, another participant in the meeting offers the same comment that you had just made and seems to receive praise for their comment...  WTF???
• You are having a conversation with a person face to face, and a third person approaches the person you are speaking with and interrupts with a question of their own...  WTF???
• A project is completed in your office that has taken a very long time to complete and has been promised to be the saving grace that all have been waiting for.  When it's rolled out, there are more problems post implementation than there were previously...  WTF???
• As a parent, you are constantly approached by your child's school for fundraisers, donations, etc., that just seems endless and non-budgeted.  As a parent, you want to participate because you know what non-participation could potentially do for your child socially...  WTF???

All of these situations just are frustrating and we face them on a daily basis.  You spend more time asking yourself WTF?  You expend more negative energy towards getting the answers rather than on just moving forward.  You allow yourself to dwell in a place longer than what it really needs to be.  Is that really solving the problem at hand, probably not. 

Here's an approach for you....  Bank It.  Remember Karma is a bitch!

While you may not be able to change the situation immediately, especially in the workplace, remember that every situation has a result, either positive or negative.  It is easy to become frustrated, all of us have done this, but this could actually be a learning opportunity for ourselves if we look hard enough.

Look at the current situation in its totality and what decisions have occurred to arrive at the present place.  How could better decision making in the future avoid negative consequences in the future.  By taking a step back and becoming an observer, rather than a participant in a situation, can you become a better decision maker?  Just a thought.

This week when you are just thinking to yourself, WTF?  Just document and deposit the situation, and bring it back when the time is more appropriate, not in an "I told you so" moment, but rather in a how do we avoid the same situation from occurring again.

It has been a while since I have posted a blog, so please have a great week and don't dwell in WTF!!!