It's not about you
It is about others, so let’s begin this posting by saying… You are special! You are amazing! You are unique and different! You can accomplish all that you want in this world! Now… hopefully, I have addressed you before anyone else.
I watched a video of a speaker recently and noticed that the presenter mentioned herself 12 times in the first 30 seconds. We learned about her background, her personal life, her nuances and her style. While entertaining, I had no invested reason to listen to any of her message, as I did not believe it could benefit me. I was thinking, “While it’s wonderful that you are amazing and great, and that I know you are telling me all of these things to build credibility, I will never be in your shoes.
My sight is not good enough to become a fighter pilot, I am not athletic enough (and too old) to be an Olympic athlete, I have no desire to climb Mount Everest, I’ve never held political office, nor have I appeared in a movie. Don’t get me wrong, I am motivated and ambitious to learn more, to do more and to find more success, fulfillment and happiness, but I am not many of these things that you are asking me to relate to.”
Recently, a friend told me a story about her husband, who has been a successful engineer for the same company for 33 years. A new CEO came on board a little while ago and was determined to “advance the company to the next level.” This new leader wanted to remove offices to encourage conversation, to create an open-design eating area to allow interaction, and to essentially remove all barriers to prevent silo work environments.
Her husband is a loyal employee who has a dual degree from MIT and is very routine-oriented. He eats food for fuel only, using only one bowl in the morning for cereal and then, once it’s empty, uses the same bowl for his orange juice to gain efficiencies. He leaves his home at the exact same time every morning and returns home to the minute every night. His office space contains his own refrigerator and coffee maker to allow him to focus solely on his work without distractions from other people. He would not, could not, and should not (a la Dr. Seuss) choose to interact with others, as this is not in his social DNA. He is extremely good at what he does, and he is happier doing his job in a manner that he is comfortable with (by himself).
Should the new CEO allow him to do his job in the manner that this gentleman likes and is good at, or should he force the issue to “change things up” in hopes of obtaining more revenue and enhancements?
Anxious to hear your thoughts…
Bart Berkey – Author of the book “Most People Don’t” is a former Ritz-Carlton Global Executive and Recruiter. He now shares his observations and experiences on human excellence and differentiation from the past 32 years in order to help improve and enhance behaviours for individuals and for organisations. As a motivational storyteller, he shares his life stories through “Messages that matter” that provide applicable takeaways and actionable ideas. Recognized as the “Top Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing”, he also is a best-selling author whose books reside in the top 1% of sales on Amazon.
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