Plant the Right Seeds

It is Spring…or so the calendar says.  Regardless, this is the appropriate time of the year to think about planting, putting down seeds, watering and fertilizing them for future growth.  There is a certain amount of pleasure we get when we put in the work and then watch the blossoming of our efforts grow into something that we can all enjoy.  This is a great time of the year to watch the sprouting and the natural re-invigoration of life around us.

The best results, of course, are based on the fertility of the environment that we are working in.  This is great for the physical landscape.  How about the mental landscape as well?  Let us update the above paragraph slightly by substituting “idea” for “seeds” to get the following:

This is the appropriate time to think about planting, putting forth ideas, watering and fertilizing them for future growth.  There is a certain amount of pleasure we get when we put in the work and then watch the blossoming of our actions grow into something that we can all enjoy.  This is a great time to watch the sprouting and the natural re-invigoration of life around us.

Virtually the same words, with similar actions and similar outcomes.  When we work together in a group, we share (plant) ideas between each other, take hold of them and they have the potential to become something wonderful (said completely from my optimistic point of view).  When the right time comes, we have envisioned in our mind the outcomes we desire.  That tinge of fear / doubt begins and then comes the second guessing: What if the weather is not good?  What if my idea is not good?  What if no one likes my planting? What if no one likes my idea?  What if I have the wrong seeds?  What if I have the wrong ideas?  I remember when Gab and Bec were younger and learning to play softball, we would teach the kids that when they went to bat, instead of standing there watching the pitches go by and striking out, to swing – we wanted them to go down trying instead of standing there like a spectator.  The same applies here as well, better to make the attempt and fail, (learning something out of the endeavor) rather than do nothing at all.

With planting seeds, we will never know the outcome if we do not try planting in different grounds to find out the best results; keeping in mind that certain plants grow better in different climates (think of how many palm trees you see in New Jersey).  Ideas are no different; for an idea to take hold, there must be a receptive audience (think of how many breweries exist in the middle of a dessert wasteland).  In either case, stay true to your visions and dreams, be bold and plant the seed to meet the vision, then enjoy the outcomes you have sown.

When Life Hands You Lemons…

Life is not fair!  While this might be a true statement, it is more about what I do with it that counts instead of the initial action that causes that feeling.  Someone else’s choices or decisions can have a rippling effect beyond what is in front of them.  I am sure that I am not the only one who was told something and then stood with my jaw opened wondering if what I was hearing made sense or even if the action was fully thought out.  That is from my point of view - not the point of view of where it came from.  Change happens, for better or worse.

16 years ago, I was working for a consulting firm.  I was at a client that I had a good relationship with – they had asked for my help on this specific project.  The project was two weeks away from ending when my manager called me up and said he needed to see me the next day.  I knew how well the company was doing (not!) at that point and knew what the next day was going to bring.  “You know that I have two weeks left here,” I responded.  It did not matter.  Like the number being pulled from the lottery bin, my number was called and I had two choices – mope the next few weeks away at what had befallen me or pick myself up, brush off the dust and take a bold action - I ended up having my own business for a few years.  It was the opportunity I did not know I was looking for but gave me the chance to do something different.  As Alexander Graham Bell famously said, “When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

Truth is, as humans, we get comfortable with where we are.  We draw these circles around parts of lives and say to ourselves that everything inside the circle is where we are happy.  In reality, though, while that circle is clearly drawn in our minds, that circle is really drawn in chalk and like a pin to a balloon, easy to burst (or erase).  Nothing about our lives remain static for long, and as a flowing river, keeps on moving.  Epictetus once said, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."  In the movie, Risky Business, the running joke was the line, “Sh*t happens.”  Yes, it does.  Sometimes on a monthly, weekly or daily basis.  We all have a choice to sit around bemoaning what happened or to use the opportunity to catapult us forward. 

Setting the Tone

I think that I have attend over a thousand meetings in my life!  I have meetings at work.  I have meetings at the synagogue.  I have meetings at home.  That’s right – in the home so that we can coordinate calendars.  We have had meetings related to our parents, kids and dogs.  And there is one thing that generally holds true – the person that is running the meeting (yes, could be swapped out for controlling the meeting) has the ability to set the tone, or attitude, of the meeting. 

 

I can see your expression from here, “What the heck is Wayne talking about now?”

If you walked into a doctor’s office, and the doctor is the cartoon character Droopy Dog (or in the human world, Ben Stein), and he says, “We need to talk” in the dragging sad tone, the instant response would be something along the lines of “Oh, no.”  OK, it would be stronger language usually avoided in front of our children; words that have the ability to make virgin puritan’s ears bleed.  The diagnosis could be a simple in-grown hair, but the personality, the demeanor and the method of communicating governs the tone of the meeting.  If you have ever been in a meeting run by someone that could be played by Tommy Chong (pick any Cheech and Chong movie), you would expect the meeting to be slightly unstructured, extremely laid back and not a lot of accomplishments.

Attitude matters!  For the person that sits at the head of the table (both figuratively and physically) dictates the atmosphere.  I remember, while interviewing for a job at a consulting firm many years ago, I had to meet with one of the practice areas managers.  He was an extreme introvert whose presence sucked the life out of the room – nice guy, but he was difficult to talk with (as per his nature).  The tone of the room reflected his personality.  Similarly, I once saw Andy Andrews speak; he got on stage and did not stand still – the audience could feel his energy and his positive attitude was infectious.  One of his secrets – always look at who you are talking to and smile while talking.

The truth is, we have “meetings” all of time.  By being upbeat and opting for a positive attitude can help the dynamics of the meeting; cheer on the successes and help to identify the challenges.  As leaders, it is up to us to head towards success, provide the support and inspiration, and remember to thank the people involved.  As a participant, it is up to us to have an open mind, a positive perspective and provide the best output possible.  OK, I know not all meetings revolve around success – so use the times of falling short to discuss lessons learned and taking the steps to provide better outcomes in the future.  In the end, the tone of the meeting is set by the leader; keep it friendly, keep it productive and keep it upbeat.