Last night I was driving home from two days of strategic planning.
The two days were very productive but the level of "disharmony" currently within our company is high:
Sales vs Op
Division vs Division
Old Guard vs New Guard
Project Manager vs Project Manager
There is alot of wishing going on...
And, I see it.
And, I feel it.
And, it weighs on me.
I take disharmony personally in the immediate world in which I interact...
Because I see myself as a change agent for harmony.
On days like yesterday, I feel like I am swimming upstream.
I am taking my strokes as hard as I can and still floating against the current.
The power and momentum of disharmony feels hard to break.
Last night driving home, I understood so clearly that sentiment.... "Give into love".
I thought about all of those moments when they say "Give into the lord", "Put yourself in his hands." "Trust in him".
I am not a religious person, though I am a spiritual one.
I find myself, ironically, WISHING for harmony ;-) And, thus in disharmony for harmony.
I wish people understood how much better we could all feel about our work.
I wish people understood how much more we could accomplish at work...
If we just gave each other credit for who we are and what we do...
It is so frustrating to see what so many others do NOT.
EVERYONE is TRYING.
EVERYONE is DOING.
EVERYONE is MAKING PROGRESS.
But, the fact that so few can see that, and SPEAK to that, and BE with that in mind....
The fact that so many MISS the efforts and the intent by those around them, makes their efforts less meaningful, less productive and ultimately less desirable.
I see the sentiment all around me,
"WHY SHOULD I TRY THIS HARD IF YOU WILL NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE ME?"
"WHY SHOULD I TRY HARD IF NOTHING I DO WILL EVER BE ENOUGH?"
"WHY SHOULD I TRY THIS HARD IF YOU WILL NEVER CARE?"
I see individuals around me screaming these sentiments out without saying a word or making a sound... and nobody can hear them.
And, I end up wishing that they could...
And, that weighs on me.
As a culture we default to disharmony. Disharmony takes less effort.
I had a "passionate" exchange with a colleague the other day about whether or not we should lead and manage with "consideration", or whether we should just "dictate" how we work?
I almost couldn't maintain my frustration, my dissapointment, my disillusion.
Not only do I think consideration is a fundamentally better long term business strategy (which has been proven over and over again in recent decades), but dictating to me is a form of disrespect.
I am sure that I was taking the discussion very personally, but I believe that so was he.
The thing about harmony that feels SO RIGHT... is that I KNOW with greater certainty than I know anything else that its not ONLY a better management style, I know that its a better LIFE style, and that its a better HUMAN style...
But, I can't be in disharmony for harmony... because I will lose.
I can't build a structure of harmony from the "second floor"down.
I have to build the foundation first. I have to start with the IS.
I know, despite our arguments and disagreements, that our company is a fair, just and respectful place to work. I know everyone cares in their own way. I know everyone is trying to do a good job.
I need to start constantly from that IS and ACT in the direction of my WANT.
BUT, I need to realize that taking ACTION in the direction of my want doesn't mean turning the tide all by myself. I need HARMONY to beget HARMONY, and in my role not only do I need to SPEAK to harmony out loud, I need to MAKE THE DECISIONS for harmony - whatever they may be.
IF I indeed want to achieve a greater level of it.
WHAT DECISIONS do I need to make to achieve it? I need to think about it, but I know what some of those are... and I know that they cannot all be made immediately.
HARMONY, like strategy, like culture, like success isn't achieved over time... it's achieved in the moment... and moments will beget moments...
I don't know if I am suppossed to GIVE INTO THE FLOW...
I will never be able to swim with the flow of the inconsiderate, nor the ungrateful, nor the uncaring... I know too much about who I am now to be anything different...
But, I have to be mindful not to swim hopelessly against the current, but rather to find AND make the path through the stream to calmer waters...
Most importantly, I need to remember that THE WATER IS NOT DEEP...
When I SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT, I AM NOT USING MY ULTIMATE STRENGTH... WHEN I SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT I AM COMPETING IN THE WRONG MEDIUM...
I NEED TO STAND UP ON THE CERTAINTY OF HARMONY and walk past those swimming...
I NEED TO STAND UP AGAINST THE CURRENT and STOP trying to FIGHT IT.
I NEED TO STAND ON THE CERTAINTY OF WHO I AM, WHAT I BELIEVE and LIVE IT.
Why swim against the current when you can walk on higher ground?
You can't have a disharmony for harmony... it will never work that way.
I need to be bigger than that.
I need to be smarter than that.
I need to be wiser than that.
And, I will be.
STAND UP with HARMONY...
Nestor