Musings at Altitude

Many of you may have seen the movie or heard of the concept, “pay it forward”, but just for a refresher, it’s returning a kindness provided to you through providing a kindness to someone else.

Imagine what it would be like in business (and in life) if one of our management objectives was to pay it forward:

• When someone sits and listens to an idea and then provides feedback, we pay it forward.
• When someone gives an unexpected hug and thanks us for something we did, we pay it forward.
• When someone gives us valuable feedback, both positive and negative, but does it to make our product better, we pay it forward.
• When a partner or client embraces us and goes above and beyond to show their appreciation or their respect for who we are, we pay it forward.
• When someone puts in that perfect word at the perfect time and provides that perfect connection for us to get that perfect job, we pay it forward.
• When someone stops us in the hallway and say they sense a need to pray for us and at that very time the burdens are heavy and the needs great, we pay it forward.
• When someone uses one of their connections to open a door for us to tell someone us about our company and our services and it leads to an awesome opportunity, we pay it forward.
• When someone invites us to sit in on a meeting that gets our thoughts and our suggestions visible to those who may otherwise not have ever seen or heard from us, we pay it forward.
• When someone checks in on us when we haven’t heard from them in months, just to see how we’re doing and to ask if we need help with anything, we pay it forward.
• When someone recognizes something special we’ve done and how hard we work and then in turn gives us a promotion or bonus, we pay it forward.
• When someone recognizes extra work that was put in and finds a special way to thank us, we pay it forward.
• When someone responds quickly to something we desperately need even though thousands of other things crowd their already busy schedule, we pay it forward.

It’s hard to imagine how much kindness would exist in every workplace if indeed every kindness of any kind was then paid forward.  It’s also hard to imagine how long that list of kindess would be in any given year if we were indeed required to track the kindness provided and the kindness then in turn given.

But wouldn’t it be cool to do it for just one year…or just one quarter…or just one month…or just one week…or even just one day.

Maybe I’ll do that Monday.

When that door is opened, I open a door for someone else.

When that check is picked up, I pick up the check for someone else.

When that call is returned, I return that call for someone else.

When that ear is provided, I listen to someone else.

When that prayer is provided, I pray for someone else.

When that smile is given, I smile at someone else.

When that helping hand is provided, I give a helping hand to someone else.

I’m already smiling, because I already know what the results will be.

We all do.

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I had the fortunate opportunity to join a good friend and also a former Air Force officer at the Air Force – Army game today.  We had very good end zone seats, 14 rows up, with a great view of the entire field as well as direct line of sight to that end zone location where the cadets do push ups every time the Air Force scores.

Before the game started, we noticed in the end zone at least six, 4-star generals, plus a couple 3-stars, and then a couple of 1-stars.  There were also several senior officers from the Army, all obviously wanting to be part of one of the most important games of the year between our two schools.

Shortly after the game started, Air Force ran a punt back for a touchdown and a huge horde of cadets gathered along the eastern stands, waiting anxiously for the cue to charge the field toward the north end zone right in front of us and drop for the number of pushups required based on the score.

When the cue came, the cadets charged, and I noticed two officers standing anxiously waiting their arrival – a 4-star and a 1-star.  The cadets dropped into the push up position and when all were down, the 4-star and 1-star dropped with them and called cadence as they did the pushups together. 

As Air Force continued to score, a 1-star general was with the cadets the entire time.

What a great lesson in leadership for all those young men and women that are training for four years to become the best possible military leaders they can be.  That learning is much easier when great leadership is so visible right in front of them during those four years of learning!

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Some are really good at meticulously taking the steps that lead to a designed destination.

Others are anxious beyond belief, and every step that’s required is one additional step that prevents you from being at the destination.

I’m an origination and destination guy that is best suited for one giant leap that gets you from where you are today to where you need to be tomorrow.

I do realize that one giant leap to the destination rarely happens, but it’s enough to keep me wanting more of them.

Instead, most journeys require lots of methodical steps, many of which are critical but offer no real redeeming support to the “need to feel good about each step” challenge.

In many cases, its multiple steps before any positive feedback is received or any meaningful success data can be derived.

So, if you’re (like me) desperately and anxiously trying and wanting to go from here to there in the minimum number of steps possible (1 being optimum of course), what can you (meaning me) do to fight off those feelings of frustration and find joy in every single step along the way?

Some suggestions:

1. have multiple journeys going at one time; when one is working through the tedious steps along the way, another may be taking that initial leap or final step that brings the smiles
2. celebrate multiple milestones along the way; don’t wait to celebrate only at the end, but create joy and keep momentum by rewarding all those on the journey with you at multiple stops along the way
3. always have one journey that is so out there and so impossible (or so folks believe) to achieve that when things get methodical and relatively non-exciting on the most important journeys, folks can be distracted for a time with that impossible journey with an unbelievable destination
4. make sure you’re on the journey with fun people; there is nothing worse than being on a mundane path to a much-less-than-exciting destination with a bunch of people that decelerate rather than accelerate life; of course it’s not much better to be on an exciting journey to a nirvanic destination with a bunch of people that drag you down and create much longer pit stops than needed along the way; fun people spend as little time as possible at the stops along the way and spend as much time as possible celebrating in route to that party at the end
5. find ways to change things up along the way to keep it exciting and interesting; do some “white water rafting” of sorts to challenge those on the journey
6. look for alternative routes that may accelerate your path to the destination; use pathfinders, those overly intuitive folks that find faster ways to the distant end, and let them play a key role of optimizing and minimizing the cost and time on the journey
7. keep your eyes on the horizon…spend as little time as possible looking down, watching those individual steps

Even with all this, it’s still frustrating that it takes so long to get to an important destination.

But at least it can be fun, challenging, rewarding, motivating, and stimulating along the way!

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It’s hard to argue that our ultimate purpose as leaders is to serve.

And our ultimate quest is defined in Matthew 25:21, to have the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

But what does it take to hear those words?

It takes understanding.

It takes obedience.

It takes commitment.

It takes love.

It takes compassion.

It takes focus.

It takes fortitude.

It takes faith.

It takes purpose.

And when all these come together in a magnificent pursuit of a noble and glorious objective, that’s something special.

And when that objective is reached, and those words are heard, “well done, good and faithful servant”, that’s something special too.

So as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25 – “Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

And expect the prize to be nothing more than, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

And what a great prize that is.

Both for now and eternity.

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In tough times, many business leaders hunker down in their offices, straining to think of that magical thing to do that fixes all their problems or restlessly working to identify alternatives to the current path and plan.  This bunker mentality never works, but it certainly seems to be the preferred strategy for many overwhelmed business leaders.

Here are some suggestions to increase visibility and blow up the bunker during both the toughest and the best of times:

(1) spend as little time as possible in your office; hold meetings in someone else’s office

(2) invite someone to the needed meeting who may not have any idea about what’s going to be discussed, and hold the meeting in their office or in the nearest conference room to their office

(3) identify something good that has happened and before starting any meeting that addresses tough challenges, go in person to show appreciation for the person(s) responsible for that goodness; that gets you in a good frame of mind for the meeting

(4) don’t talk, but listen; ask questions that generate dialogue and sit back and listen to the wisdom of others

(5) be candid and share your concerns; those that are important to your success are also the ones fully capable of accepting (and even needing) that candor

(6) at the end of the discussion, review what was said, identify any actions that can be taken, and then track those actions with those who were part of the discussion

(7) thank those who give you new ideas, and then reward those whose new ideas result in positive momentum

(8) use your windows as white boards; even the toughest of problems seem much easier to think through when you’re writing and drawing on your windows

(9) give an unexpected gift; in the dreariest of times, folks smile when they get unexpected gifts

Who knows, that epiphany that is so desperately needed may come from one of these out of the ordinary locations or unexpected contributions.

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In my 27 years of learning (still have at least 27 years more of learning to do) through both direct and indirect experiences in business life, I’ve come to the conclusion that “you got to be kidding me” is an ineffective response to irrational business decisions.  Instead, a better response is, “why did you take that path?” or “what led you to that decision?”  In either of those latter responses, the focus is shifted from the astounded person wondering why the decision was made to the person who may have made that decision.  In shifting that focus, the individual then assumes responsibility for explaining the unexplainable while the astounded person is nothing more than an inquiring mind.

By moving from statements to questions, the inquirer will typically look smarter than they are and the inquiree will end up working way too hard to explain the unexplainable.  Both sides will thus learn.  The one posing the questions will get lessons in human behavior from the actions that led to the somewhat insane decision.  The one answering the question will often times be enlightened by the things overlooked or the data that was misread that might have led to the otherwise absurd action.

PS.  Every now and then (ok, more often than every now and then), by asking a question instead of rushing to an erroneous conclusion I actually do a course correction on my own thought process just moments before I become very embarrassed for jumping to the wrong conclusions.  By asking the questions, I buy me time to gain enlightenment rather than accelerate my path to obvious and confirmed ignorance.

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How do you defeat bureaucracy?

Be relentless.

How do you get that one thing done that everyone in the world says will never be done?

Be relentless.

How do you do what’s right for the organization when it seems like everyone in the organization is against you?

Be relentless.

How do you achieve that next revenue milestone when everything seems to be blocking your way?

Be relentless.

How do you stay positive when every stimulus you receive is negative?

Be relentless.

How do you connect with 100 people in any given day?

Be relentless.

How do you balance faith, family, and profession?

Be relentless.

How do you provide a pick-me-up to someone who seems completely reluctant to be picked up?

Be relentless.

How do you succeed when so many others around you seem to be failing?

Be relentless.

How do you get hugged when so many around you don’t deserve to be hugged?

Be relentless.

How do you smile when so many around you refuse to smile?

Be relentless.

How do you do in 100 days what others seem to struggle to do in a year?

Be relentless.

It’s absolutely true.

In a time where so many people are succumbing to the voices, actions, and attitudes which indicate so clearly that things just can’t be done, those that get things done are relentless. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about being bullheaded or stupidly consistent in approach. 

I’m talking about being relentless in adapting, in pushing, in nurturing, in educating, in collaborating, in facilitating and in smiling. 

I’m talking about doing all the things necessary to overcome the lethargy and dissonance in an organization. 

Bureaucrats thrive on creating roadblocks that encourage people to stop trying.

Pundits thrive on creating so much negativism that those that are positive give up not wanting to prolong the attacks.

Skeptics thrive on finding those reasons to say, “I told you so”.

But winners overcome the bureaucrats, pundits and skeptics.

And winners are relentless!

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(1) For long walks with someone I love

(2) For smiles that come at Avs games

(3) For talks with the kids

(4) For hugs and butterfly kisses which still occur

(5) For wisdom from my Dad

(6) For encouragement from friends

(7) For accountability for things said and things committed to

(8) For passion in life and in work

(9) For being challenged by others

(10) For evidence of God’s presence

(11) For reminders of God’s grace

(12) For weekends with the family

(13) For snow right after the car’s been washed

(14) For that perfect song at the perfect time

(15) For those that share their lives and their stories

(16) For excitement about the little things that go right

(17) For learning when both the little and big things go wrong

(18) For the incredible beauty of snow covered mountains

(19) For the brakes the were applied to miss that dog

(20) For answered prayers

(21) For opportunities beyond belief

(22) For honesty and candor from those whose opinion mean the most to me

(23) For the wit and sarcasm from loved ones that keep me grounded

(24) For the mentoring from those who have done things right

(25) For the willingness to share lessons learned from those who have done things not-so-right

(26) For the joy of seeing little ones grow

(27) For the joy of seeing not-so-little ones grow

(28) For friends who call unexpectedly with steaks ready to be grilled

(29) For friends who drop everything and respond when needed

(30) For cheerleaders who give pick me ups to those who are typically cheerleaders

(31) For prayer partners

(32) For meaningful whispers that can be heard

(33) For compelling business objectives

(34) For unconditional love

(35) For patience from others

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“I’ll do that” may be the most used lie ever.

We say it when someone needs us to call someone, and then it slips our mind and we never call.

We say it when one of our bosses asks us to do something, and we quickly forget about it assuming that if it’s important they’ll ask us again and we’ll have time to get it done.

We say it when someone needs prayer, and then we don’t pray for them.

We say it when our kids or spouse need us to take care of something, and then we quickly forget.

Is a commitment to do something only really a commitment when there is a clearly visible path to check up on that commitment?  Is a commitment only a commitment if someone desperately needs something and will get angry or hurt if that something isn’t accomplished?

Of course not.

And yet we say “I’ll do that” all the time and then get distracted or immediately put off the very thing we committed to do.

The best way to fulfill the commitments that we make is to do them immediately.

If someone asks you to call for them and you commit to do that, call immediately.

If your boss asks you to do something and you commit to do that, get the wheels in motion immediately.

If someone asks you to pray for them and you promise to pray, then pray immediately.

If one of your family members asks you to do something, then find a way to act on it immediately.

Don’t allow distractions and excuses to turn your commitment into that most used lie.

PS.  I’m guilty of all of these, and I’m hoping my family and co-workers don’t weigh in with the long list of examples that I know exists.

PSS.  I also realize that many times it just can’t be done immediately.  At those times, we need to put a time stamp on the commitment as to when it will be fulfilled and ensure that we track that commitment to that time and make sure it is fulfilled.  It gets harder though with delayed commitments.  Tracking the commitment could take as much time as just getting it done.

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I’m in a lull right now, a brief respite from the intensity of business operations.  I’m still busy in a very different way, but the insanity is a bit muted and the wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night stress has departed for the moment.

So I’ve decided to focus on me as the work-in-progress that I am, and I’m going to see what I can do now to develop and work on those areas that are critical for me to improve as a leader.  After all, that may be the best way to leverage the less hectic times that come in these lulls.

Areas where I need help:

(1) Communications – things that seem perfectly clear to me as I say or write them create an awful lot of confusion when heard or read by others; I need a lesson and then practice on how to “stop-think” before spewing the profound words that I think I say today

(2) Humility – I can’t always be right, but I certainly seem to think I am most of the time; that manifests itself in emotional reactions to things others say or do that would be counter to what I so adamantly believe is right; if obedience does indeed begin with humility, that may be the most important thing I need to work on in my spiritual and professional lives

(3) Empathy – I way too frequently assume that I know exactly what others may be going through as I engage with them on issues or needed actions; as you might suspect, I’m wrong quite often; I need to learn to probe behind what’s visible and see what’s really happening inside; only then can my attitude and actions be truly empathetic to those who may be affected by anything I say or do

(4) Vision – I’ve been affectionately accused of being a visionary almost as much as I’ve been accused of not being one; with all the challenges of today, having a clear, compelling, and motivating vision is more important than ever, but creating it is a tremendous challenge

(5) Contentment – I’ve lived a nomadic professional life, moving frequently enough to create excitement with new job challenges, and never staying long enough to work through difficult, long term issues or overcome enormous business challenges; in Philippians 4:11, Paul says, “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances”;  but I never learned that and never wanted to learn that; till now that is; others need to see that contentment in leaders of today that Paul so effectively demonstrated two centuries ago

(6) Workability – None of the above will be possible if I can’t become “workable” as an individual; all of these in a sense are tied together through a belief and then an act of submission; we all did it (although I was termed a rebel at times) with our parents, with our teachers, with our coaches, and with our bosses as we were growing up; but many of us (including me) have lost this as we’ve gotten older

I can only imagine how hard it will be to improve in these areas with nearly 5 decades of ingrained attitudes and actions that need to be pushed aside so learning can occur.  It took a lot of practice to just get to this point where I do things so awkwardly today.  It all starts with admitting the need, and then submitting to others for that development to occur.  Submitting is really hard, but I’m committed to do just that.

PS.  Jeremiah 18:6 says, “”Can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord.  “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.””  We’re told very clearly that we are indeed a work in progress, and we’re the clay in the hands of a master potter, our Creator.  The Potter’s Hand keeps ringing in my ears as I think about workability.  Several years ago, I was walking with my Dad.  I asked him, “What is being a Christian in its simplest terms?”  He quickly responded, “Simply obedience.”  If we admit that we do indeed have a potter and we are the clay, and then submit to that potter so He can make something spectacular out of us, that’s obedience…that’s workability.

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