Act Now

The title sounded a bit like a sales pitch when I wrote it. Maybe it is. The idea behind this post came from an article written by a person well-versed in that area.

The premise of the article was to not put off things you could do today to protect yourself in a number of different areas in your life, including personal, professional, and health. The author wrote that his wife had mentioned some months ago that they had a security system at one of their homes, but not the one in which they were currently residing. A comment of "Yeah we really should do that," was not followed up on. Of course a few weeks later, they were robbed. The point of the article being, don't put off until tomorrow the important things you could do today.

As I read the article, I thought, I really need to post to the blog, I haven't written for a while; I'll do that later. Thankfully, the article reached out of the computer screen, smacked me and said "read that again, it says act NOW." So I did. As is the case so many times when we don't put off things, it felt good to do it. For procrastinators, it can be difficult. For others, not so much.

One of the tools I've started using is a calendar on the computer that sends reminders for events that are scheduled. I'm finding that as I get those reminders, I'm more prone to either act on them right away or "snooze" them for a short time if I'm in the middle of something. I think I will add this article to my bulletin board, highlight the quote about acting now that is at the end of the article, and repeat the mantra, "Act Now."

Perceptions

I had a thought this morning as I reflected on an electronic conversation I had yesterday. As I sat working in Cody on our Body of Evidence document, I noticed it was snowing outside. I texted this back to Guernsey to find out it was sunny there. For some reason, it made me think of how perceptions can differ greatly in the same situation. Now, I realize we were in two widely separated geographic areas, but for some reason the analogy was there.

The stock market "corrections" is another example of how a persons' perception of things can determine how they feel about situations. One could look at the falling prices as an opportunity to invest in solid companies with good fundamentals at a time when emotion is overtaking the market. On the other hand, losing 40% (or more) of one's net worth may cause some to feel panic or confusion about what to do. I do understand as well that a person's situation will have a bearing on perception because someone who is relying on their savings and investments to live out retirement is in a different place than someone just starting out in their career. However, our perceptions will still determine whether we look at the glass as half full or half empty.

We do have a choice in such matters, and I believe we should exercise that choice in a positive manner. It reminds me of the elderly gentleman who was moving to an assisted living facility when asked how he thought he might like his room. "I love it," he said, without having seen it yet. Wake up every day with a similar thought - "it's a great day" (notice I didn't say "it 'will' be a great day") and the day and all that goes into it, will indeed be great.

Personal or Professional

A comment in the last post asked the question about personal vs. professional growth. As I thought about the question, I found myself thinking along two different lines. Reflection is so important for growth and I don't think most of us do enough of it.

The one avenue of thought I had was comparing personal and professional growth. I don't believe there is much of a difference. If it is true growth, I don't think there is. One might argue that a person could grow professionally and not personally, but to truly grow, there is only one way, and that is personally. Along those same lines, I don't think a person can help an organization grow if that person don't grow in some respect him or herself. This is how organizations can become stuck in the status quo. To me, it is similar to Einstein's comment about not being able to solve a problem "with the same mind that created it." If, as a leader, I don't grow (change) in some aspect, I don't think I can create the environment for growth or change in the organization.

My second line of thought had to do with perceptions. Our world is shaped by our perceptions. We see the world as we want and make judgments about what is happening around us based on that. I am reminded of the story of a man getting cut off in traffic who becomes irate and cusses and gestures at the person in the vehicle. Would his reaction have been the same had he known it was a family member rushing to the hospital? Would his perception of the situation change his reaction? More thoughts on that later.

Questioning

Following along a similar line to the previous post on reflection and the reader comment made me think of the book by Peter Block, The Answer to How is Yes.In it, Block writes that we tend to ask ourselves the wrong questions. These questions take the form of "How?" questions and tend to "(express) our bias for what is practical, concrete, and immediately useful, often at the expense of our values and idealism." 

Asking what Block calls Yes questions enables an individual or organization to focus on deeper concepts like values and purpose. Again, going back to the piece on reflection and the questions in the comments, this process is not always easy, nor should it be. However, when we do not look at bigger questions and concepts, we tend to get mired in the quick and easy answer, something that can lead us further from that which is important and worthwhile. 

For instance, one of the questions often asked is "How much does it cost?" Instead, Block suggests we ask ourselves, "What price are we willing to pay?" This price is not necessarily monetary. A bigger price can sometimes be paid when we take a risk and fail. The conversation though may lead to commitment to a path that leads to bigger things. As organizations and individuals, we must be willing to ask ourselves difficult questions and be prepared for the work that ensues as we look for answers that lead toward growth. 

Updating and Reflecting

A couple of weeks ago an account rep from a copier company came in and mentioned that he had read the post on "uncomfortable conversations." He said it pertained to him greatly, because as a someone in sales, the more uncomfortable conversations he might be able to have, the better he could serve his customers and create sales.

I didn't think much about it until later in the day, when a comment on the same post appeared that asked the question, "How many (uncomfortable conversations) have you avoided at the expense of growth or truth?"  The question caused me to reflect for quite some time. In fact, I am still asking myself that question and searching not only to answer that question, but to find an answer to the question of "Why?"  

Another thought that has occurred to me is that these conversations are not necessarily between two persons. The conversations we have with ourselves present some of the biggest obstacles to success. How often do we sit back and reflect on our own thinking and the discussions that occur internally? How does our own mind cloud our thinking, producing negative results? 

I am reminded of a Buddhist proverb that states, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear."  If we open our mind to allowing learning to come to us, all sorts of opportunities come our way.