Everything grows when it rains.
In nature, in order for things to grow, there must be rain. As I drove past a field that had been scorched a year ago during a wild fire, there is a lush green field now. As a leader, we are always challenged to take negative situations and turn them into a positive. If we find ourselves in situations where we have been burned, we need to look for the opportunity to grow again.
Rain can take many forms. Rain in this discussion is centered more about the decisions we make in the workplace. All of us at one time or another have made a poor or ill advised decision in the workplace. It happens to everyone. We find ourselves in situations that we often aren't thinking clearly, and as a result, end up in a place that we didn't intend to be.
Do you have a reliable weather forecaster, a professional mentor that can guide you through your individual rainstorms? These mentors are in the places that you least expect them to be and usually the person that you least expect them to be. Your weather forecaster is someone that you trust to evaluate situations after the fact, and assist you in growing and maturing to not have another negative experience. They are there to equip you to weather the daily storms that each person encounters.
When looking at rainy periods, it is important for you to understand how the rain developed. Most of the time it was not El Nino or La Nina, but a series of events that led to a personal setback. How you weather the storm will determine how sunny the future will be. At this time, it is critical to spend a few minutes with your weather forecaster, look at the maps (how the situation came from point A to point B) to understand how the series of decisions led to the outcome that occurred. The growing piece is gaining an understanding of how to avoid bad decisions and make better decisions in the future.
I had the privilege to attend a panel discussion of senior leaders this week who spoke of having a mentor. Mentors who would shoot straight with them and encourage them as they developed in their careers. These mentors are your weather forecasters, the have been there, done that, and earned a t-shirt for the efforts. Listen to what your forecasters have to say and they will guide you through the juggernaut that is your professional career. You will have many forecasters throughout your life. If you tune them out, you will continue to be bitter and scorched, you will never grow. However, if you reflect on the feedback given to you, and incorporate the feedback to your particular situation, your decisions will be stronger and more decisive as you become more experienced.
Pay it forward. Become a forecaster for others and look for opportunities to share your experiences with those who are a little green so that they are able to grow and mature.
In my career, to quote a James Taylor song, "I've seen Fire and I've seen Rain. I've seen Sunny days that I thought would never end." Rain is not always bad, and sun is not always good. The sunny days always follow the rainy days. Use those sunny days to grow and mature and I guarantee you will have more sun than rain. Trust your forecaster to guide you. Don't take anything or anyone for granted.
Have a great weekend!
Showing posts with label mentoring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mentoring. Show all posts
Friday, May 11, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
It's a Journey, not a Sprint!
As many high schools, colleges, and universities prepare for commencements over the next month, many students will enter the "real world". As stated in the song "Closing Time" by Semisonic, "Every new beginning is some other beginnings end."
For students they may enter the workforce, the military, or choose to continue their education at one of this country's institutions of higher education. When the pomp and circumstance is over, each person will now have to make their individual decisions for the rest of their lives. Some will make good decisions, others, not so good.
In my house, we have volume's of the "Book of Dumbass" as we affectionately refer to it. Each day we live, we add another page, each month another chapter, and each year a new volume. My boys know that each decision they make has a consequence, both positive and negative, and my wife and I hope we have instilled good decision making qualities in both of our sons. For them making a bad decision is not the end of the world, as we all have made them in our lives. Life is a journey, not a sprint.
It is important throughout our careers and our lives that each of us remember that what we do is a journey, not a sprint. We need to enjoy all that our experiences offer us. You hear professionals comment all the time how the low points in careers made them stronger and better equipped to make tough decisions, or execute a plan, or a play in the future. The experiences we all have as professionals and individuals provide us the tools and resources to draw upon to make better future decisions.
As leaders, it is up to us individually to mentor those around us. Allow others to draw on our experiences, but also allow others to make mistakes as they create their experiences. Losing or failing should never deter anyone. Look at Abraham Lincoln. Business failures, bankruptcy, elections losses, and ultimately became one of the most important figures in American or for that matter World history. For him, life was a journey, not a sprint.
I had the privilege to coach youth football with someone in Oklahoma. One of the mantra's of that team was "Never, never quit". We would chant it before each game. It instilled an attitude of long term success, even if the short term results were not successful. Each player that played for him is developing into a winner in their own rights, both on and off the field.
As each person begins their next chapter in life, remember it is a journey, not sprint.
For students they may enter the workforce, the military, or choose to continue their education at one of this country's institutions of higher education. When the pomp and circumstance is over, each person will now have to make their individual decisions for the rest of their lives. Some will make good decisions, others, not so good.
In my house, we have volume's of the "Book of Dumbass" as we affectionately refer to it. Each day we live, we add another page, each month another chapter, and each year a new volume. My boys know that each decision they make has a consequence, both positive and negative, and my wife and I hope we have instilled good decision making qualities in both of our sons. For them making a bad decision is not the end of the world, as we all have made them in our lives. Life is a journey, not a sprint.
It is important throughout our careers and our lives that each of us remember that what we do is a journey, not a sprint. We need to enjoy all that our experiences offer us. You hear professionals comment all the time how the low points in careers made them stronger and better equipped to make tough decisions, or execute a plan, or a play in the future. The experiences we all have as professionals and individuals provide us the tools and resources to draw upon to make better future decisions.
As leaders, it is up to us individually to mentor those around us. Allow others to draw on our experiences, but also allow others to make mistakes as they create their experiences. Losing or failing should never deter anyone. Look at Abraham Lincoln. Business failures, bankruptcy, elections losses, and ultimately became one of the most important figures in American or for that matter World history. For him, life was a journey, not a sprint.
I had the privilege to coach youth football with someone in Oklahoma. One of the mantra's of that team was "Never, never quit". We would chant it before each game. It instilled an attitude of long term success, even if the short term results were not successful. Each player that played for him is developing into a winner in their own rights, both on and off the field.
As each person begins their next chapter in life, remember it is a journey, not sprint.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Baseball Season
It is Baseball Season!!! America's pastime! It is the best time of the year!!
What does baseball mean to me? It is a time of learning, it is a time for motivation, it is a time of new beginnings!
In the movie "Bull Durham", Kevin Costner is a teacher of the finer points of the game. The new hot shot pitcher has to learn more about the finer points of the game. Never throw a punch with your pitching arm, never mess with a streak, and most importantly to trust in your teammates.
In the movie "The Sandlot", Bennie "The Jet" Rodriquez was born out of his "pickling the beast". The lesson here is that everyone has their defining moment that will carry them throughout their life.
In the movie, "The Rookie", Dennis Quaids character learns that it is important to recognize when you become a hero or a mentor to others. As his wife tells him when he is about to quit his dream of making it to the major leagues that his 10 year old son is asleep for the night and that if he thinks about quitting, what kind of message is it sending to his son. What a powerful message!
At the end of the day, Baseball is a metaphor for life! To quote Kevin Costner from Bull Durham, "some days you win, some days you lose, and some days it rains." In life, we are all going to have our good days and our bad days. Some days things just don't work out as planned, but we always need to keep our priorities straight.
Those that have played baseball at the highest levels will tell you that the highest compliment that can be paid to a ball player is to be known as a great teammate not to just be the best player. I have been fortunate to coach my son's when they were younger and humility is a big part of their individual games. They are known by their peers as a teammate first, and a skilled player second.
In the workplace, individual accolades can be attained, but it should be more important to maintain trusting relationships. This is the way I play the game, for better or worse!
I look forward each week to my 7 inning vacation for my sons games and look forward to those 9 inning vacations with my family once the professional season starts.
Have a great end of the weekend!
What does baseball mean to me? It is a time of learning, it is a time for motivation, it is a time of new beginnings!
In the movie "Bull Durham", Kevin Costner is a teacher of the finer points of the game. The new hot shot pitcher has to learn more about the finer points of the game. Never throw a punch with your pitching arm, never mess with a streak, and most importantly to trust in your teammates.
In the movie "The Sandlot", Bennie "The Jet" Rodriquez was born out of his "pickling the beast". The lesson here is that everyone has their defining moment that will carry them throughout their life.
In the movie, "The Rookie", Dennis Quaids character learns that it is important to recognize when you become a hero or a mentor to others. As his wife tells him when he is about to quit his dream of making it to the major leagues that his 10 year old son is asleep for the night and that if he thinks about quitting, what kind of message is it sending to his son. What a powerful message!
At the end of the day, Baseball is a metaphor for life! To quote Kevin Costner from Bull Durham, "some days you win, some days you lose, and some days it rains." In life, we are all going to have our good days and our bad days. Some days things just don't work out as planned, but we always need to keep our priorities straight.
Those that have played baseball at the highest levels will tell you that the highest compliment that can be paid to a ball player is to be known as a great teammate not to just be the best player. I have been fortunate to coach my son's when they were younger and humility is a big part of their individual games. They are known by their peers as a teammate first, and a skilled player second.
In the workplace, individual accolades can be attained, but it should be more important to maintain trusting relationships. This is the way I play the game, for better or worse!
I look forward each week to my 7 inning vacation for my sons games and look forward to those 9 inning vacations with my family once the professional season starts.
Have a great end of the weekend!
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