A number of years ago, I took a motorcycle trip to Ouray, Colorado. It was a fantastic vacation of camping and sightseeing, back and forth across the Rockies.
One of the people on the trip was a business process consultant from the KC area.
One night around the campfire, he was talking about work and how after he had left a contract, the company ignored his advice and continued to struggle.
I asked him if that bothered him; how did he deal with that type of situation.
He told me that “you just have to not care”. Essentially, he did his job to the best of his abilities. He then moves on. What they do is their business.
Today, I heard some news about a project that I stopped working on over a year ago. I worked on it for over a year, but as business works, I was re-assigned to other projects.
Anyway, it seems as though some of my ‘solutions’ are coming unraveled.
I got REALLY worked up about it, calling friends who know how close I was to this project and venting about it. I don’t know what they think of me, other than I must be a lunatic.
Tonight, as I drink a beer and tend my children, feeding Kat all kinds of cheese and chicken, I remembered my conversation with Dick. He really hit it on the head. Unknowingly, he gave me great advice that would serve me years later in my career.
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4 comments:
I'm sorry Dick isn't around for you to talk to about your former project. I'm sure he'd lend a sympathetic ear. I'm glad you talk to him now and then. How wonderful not to be forgotten after you die. This post really touched me. Thanks for letting us get to know Dick just a little.
Frustrated because people at work don't take your advice? I've experienced that on occasion. 2 weeks ago, I told a gentleman he was done drinking for the night and then arrested him an hour later in line at the liquor store with a bottle of vodka. I then helped the family involuntarily commit him, when he got out of the hospital last week, one of my officers arrested him for public intox within 24 hours.
I once arrested a man 3 times in one year. It would have been more but he spent over 6 months in prison between arrests 2 and 3. He had a needle on him all 3 times (meth addict).
I don't think of it as frustrating, just job security.
It's why the first Step in any 12-step recovery program is about Powerlessness.
I guess good business advice is essential when starting up a business. It can play an advisory role helping people get the best from their chosen business and give confidence in their experience, expertise and motivations.
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