So, today, I need to do a little clean up.
First, I want to say I am SORRY!
A few days ago, I wrote a piece called "hockey sticks and cell phones". I really was proud of myself for the title ;-)
I actually wrote it a couple of weeks ago, which is unusual for me, and I unfairly captured my "marketing team". What I wrote could have been interpreted as the team not being capable or competent, and me being the one who "knew better".
My intent was to show an example, speaking to a very, very common human behavior where we think we can accomplish in the future more than we have accomplished in the past. In the example WE (as I am part of the team) had laid out a plan that was unachievable due to magnitude of the activities.
I am truly sorry about how I wrote that:
A. I try to be general in my posts so that no one feels singled out or critiicized in my examples. And, yet I try to keep them specific enough that they are interesting to read. I should not have been that specific.
B. Importantly, I posted that "I knew better". And, while I did in that instance "know better", I demonstrate the behavior of trying to do too much in so many aspects of my leadership (notably the number of strategic initiatives that we are pursuing). While I think I knew better in that instance, I certainly did not mean that I "am" any better or smarter than the rest of the team.
C. Most importantly, I FAILED the team. If I knew better or THOUGHT I knew better in that instance, why didn't I MAKE it BETTER. To imply in any way that they were at fault for that conclusion is incorrect. The marketing department reports to me, and I could have avoided all of that by simply creating a more realistic scope from day 1. Buck stops here.
SO.... from the post I hope you got that none of us are exempt from our own human nature to want to make the future "non-linearly" better than the past. And, I certainly, at no time, discount the hard and great work of anyone. Our marketing team, which includes me, several folks from our sales team and marketing group, is one of the most passionate and dedicated group of people I have ever met. We care like crazy, and we are all gaining a better and better understanding of how we need to work to help EMG grow.
I truly am sorry about how I portraid them. It wasn't fair or accurate.
Second, I wanted to say THANK YOU!
I took the afternoon off yesterday and took my younger two son's skiing. It was a treacherous 3 hour trip there. We had a great time, as we often do, riding along with some great music. We slid and spun (not really mama), and slowly made our way to the mountain.
I am THANKFUL not just for being to experience a long, active, fun and funny afternoon with two of the most wonderful men that I have ever known, but I am so very grateful for how gracious they were.
I don't know why, but I felt their gratitude and love deeply and genuinely.
My older son was patient and kind to his younger brother. He skis much faster, and waited all day patiently for both of us as we made our way down the mountain. Not ONCE did he show the slightest ounce of frustration.
My younger son engaged in moments that scared him on terrain that intimidated him, carefully but deliberately because he trusted me when I told him hat he could do it, and he knew his brother and I wanted to try it.
Over and over, I heard them say "Thank you Dad for bringing us today." They somehow knew it was a stretch for me to take them yesterday due to my work commitments, and they were so very sincerely grateful to be out there and be together.
I can't imagine a greater gift nor a greater feeling than to KNOW my boys graciousness.kkk
We were silly.
We were cold.
We were happy.
We were together.
And, we were all grateful for the evening together.
I have never felt their gratitude as I did yesterday and I have never seem them be more gracious with each other.
It warms and fills my heart.
I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world last night, but right next to them...
I wanted the night to last forever, and I knew it couldn't.
But, I will be more mindful of making more moments like that happen.
I can't love them any more than I do.
But, I can find more moments and work harder at appreciating all of them.
My heart was full and I was so crazy happy to be exactly where I was... (despite that my butt really hurt from falling on the ice ;-)
I am so very thankful for yesterday... and for those two loving and gracious men that accompanied me to the mountain and made me feel so very, very appreciated and proud.
There is no greater reward than a moment where you don't just feel, but you KNOW the sincere gratitude and love of our children. Powerful. I am grateful for all three of my boys... beyond words... and to the woman who made them ;-)
SORRY and THANK YOU!
Happy Friday!
Find Harmony in all of it!
Nestor