Have you ever been misunderstood?
Actually, it’s a lot easier than you think. Our intentions are often misread by well meaning, but ill informed people and if we’re not careful we can be pigeon holed into a particular category by those who are quick to judge.
Recently, I heard a story of a woman who had an elderly relative she thought lived a very boring, non engaging life. Apart from work and family it was thought that this particular relative did nothing of any significance. That was until she died.
After her death people began to appear from all over the place with accounts of how this relative had helped them in so many ways. Others wrote genuine notes of condolence, sharing how they had been greatly impacted by this seemingly obscure life.
The woman from whom I heard this story was completely taken aback at the far reaching impact of her relative, a life that clearly had made such a huge impact in the world of so many. How wrong she had been.
The morale of the 'story' is exactly that, ‘We all have a story,' and it's not always visible to onlookers. Not always do people brag about what they do.
Individual influence is not to be treated lightly. The truth is we all impact on the lives of those we come in contact with in some way.
We will either have a positive influence on their life, or a negative one.
Let's add to the lives we come in contact with rather than subtract from them.
Life is not an entitlement
I remember years ago travelling to work via a back country road where I passed a small petrol station (that's what it was called back then). Each day as I drove past, the owner was standing with his money bag over his shoulder waiting for the next car to pull in. The picture of this regular figure standing there each day made me so curious that I started to get fuel there just to get chatting to this man who was getting on in years and turned out to be a real character.
Anyhow, time went on and I moved job and no longer had to journey to that part of the country. About 5 years later I had reason to go in that direction and decided to use the back road for old times sake. As I passed the petrol station, sure enough, there he was, standing there with the bag over the shoulder waiting for the next car pull in.
It was another year before I was in that region again, but this time he wasn't there. The shutters were down and the place looked overgrown.
I thought a lot about this on the way home. I never did find out what happened, but it let me see how quickly life can change.
We don't really know what tomorrow will bring, yet we can waste a lot of time on things that really don't matter. We spend time worrying about trivial things and allow ourselves to be preoccupied with petty distractions. Yet, the most important thing is to value the here and now and seize the day we have with all of its opportunities, challenges and possibilities.
What we weren't taught at college.
I'm all for education, but so much of life is learned at a different school. We attend this one every day whether we realise it or not - the school of life is a big one and it's international.
It's good to remember the type of thing we learn at this school and I've listed a few lessons that have impacted on my life below:
- Never think that life is an entitlement - there is no such thing
- Always remember to live for today, tomorrow will take care of itself
- The challenges we face now never look as big when we look backwards
- Get out and travel a bit, particularly to somewhere less privileged - it's a good leveller
- Don't listen to those who would try to put you down - this kind of person has deep issues
- There is bad in the best of us, and good in the worst of us
- We all respond positively to a smile - don't let someone hang their coat on your bottom lip
- The capacity of a human being to achieve greatness is amazing - never say never
- We are only as confident as the words we use
- Negative people can spread their influence faster than we think
- Positive people are contagious
- If money is our only worry in life, we don't really have any worries then
- Imagination can paint some scary pictures
- Helping other people is the most fulfilling thing we will ever do
The school of life has no fees and the learning is free but it can cost a great deal. It can test us in every area and stretch us in ways we never knew possible. It is however a great privilege and we should live it to the very maximum each and every day
The role of the Interim is still in demand
I know the term 'Interim' still has a number of variations in meaning depending who you talk to, but the original reference being that of an adaptable short-term Senior Manager, still holds true for many organisations today. Yes, some recruiters have used the term interim to refer to temporary posts, which in my view is an ill informed reference to the skill that seasoned senior managers have selected as a career choice.
The Interim Manager is a highly experienced, highly versatile individual with the ability to easily slot into an organisation at senior level on assignment with a particular brief in mind, and for a specific period of time. Usually brought into an organisation to add valuable experience, take control, or support a team in a business, devision or department, the interim thrives on pressure and change.
In a time when costs are being cut and savings are being sought, the Interim Manager pays dividend many times over, even when it appears they are expensive to hire. The analysis clearly shows that the concept of hiring an Interim Manager is a shrewd business decision with a definite payback often coming much quicker than anticipated.
The other major benefit of using an Interim Manager is to provide support to the function of the Managing Director or CEO. Often MD's and CEO's are so busy they simply don't have the time to effectively trouble shoot parts of the business, but rather have to lean on the sometimes bias view of managers instead.
The experienced Interim, objective by nature, can provide quick and clear solutions in this environment in a way that compliments the business, rather than causing friction or division.
Yes, the role of the Interim is still in demand today.
