I CELEBRATED MY 80TH BIRTHDAY LAST WEEK—WHICH MAKES A PERSON THINK
As I read the all nice cards and birthday wishes, my thoughts went more and more to “what matters most” (in life). Pastor Craig Groeschel of Life Church (https://live.life.church) reminded us a few years back: “Be patient, and focus on ‘what you want most' instead of 'what you want now’.” Craig also reminded us the God has a plan for us—but it may not match the one we have. Figuring out God’s plan requires a lifetime, and we may still not "get it." That doesn’t mean we should stop trying, and we shoud be willing to expect (and accept?) obstacles, when our plan encounters God’s “detours."
Then I realized that I’ve actually been thinking about these same things for years as I wrote about life and business. As we grow older, hopefully we grow wiser. We also might reflect more on perspectives, other than the seemingly urgent (but not all that important) things right ahead of us. I found several things I had forgotten about. One was this piece I wrote a long time ago. The second was written by Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises. I want to share both of them to help you think about your perspectives on life.
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I FIRST WROTE THIS ARTICLE 25 YEARS AGO. I LIKED THE MESSAGE THEN, AND I STILL DO.
Suddenly Last Summer--A Perspective on Diversity and Life
People are where it all begins … and ends
©John Mariotti 1996
I had an interesting five days last summer, and I want to share some of the thoughts these days brought to mind. I grew up in a very small midwestern town where I learned, above all else that people are "just people." I hadn't even thought much about wealth, status, or such things for a lot of my early years. I guess the professionals and business owners did have slightly larger homes, but few people said much about it.
People have often asked me about the key to leadership success and one of the first words that usually comes out of my mouth is "caring," usually followed rather quickly by words like "character, values, integrity, and doing good!" Over the years of my career I have found the old phrase "what goes around comes around" to be especially true when it involves leading people or being part of a real team, in a successful (or even a not so successful) setting.
There are times that success is based on more than "just people," but they are relatively few. Competency is required, no doubt about that. Courage and persistence and hard work are necessary too. Perhaps most of all, the appreciation of the richness of the diversity and talents of people is what makes the whole picture complete.
This summer day, as I walked the streets of my old hometown with my wife of 32 years, the beauty surrounding me moved me. On a weekday morning, the streets were quiet and peaceful. The sun shimmered with a special clarity and brightness. The old shade trees cast big, cool shadows as a light breeze rustled their leaves. A few people washed windows or tended their gardens. A dog barked and the faint sound of hammers signaled some repair work being done. The yellow of the day lilies and the green of the grass were so bright they could have come from an impressionist painting. Nearly everyone who drove by waved. This is a place where people cared about people; a place where they knew your name and your face; a place with a slower, warmer, friendlier life and pace. In this place, I learned that people are above all else, regardless of their station in life, just people.
The next day, I visited a company where I had worked for 12 years--but that was seventeen years ago! I had not been back for over ten years, but there were still about 15-20 people working there who I knew well. The reception they gave me was terrific. I found I immediately recalled names of people I had not seen for 10-15 years, and I realized how much people meant to my career and life. Two specific events stick in my mind.
One was the parting handshake and after a brief hesitation, a warm hug from a man with 41 years service (whose father before him had worked for this company over 45 years!). This was a man I found working in the service department, who has been a management stalwart in production planning for over 20 years. What an exceptional treasure.
The second event was a comment by another close friend whose job the past few years might best be called "human relations." While discussing some of the managerial errors of the past, he said emphatically, "It's pretty simple. Tell the people what's going on, make sure they understand what needs to be done, and then help make sure it's getting done. But never, ever lie to them!!" So much for high-minded theories and fancy terms. Common sense, honesty, and decency with people can accomplish a lot.
My next stop that week was for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party. Seeing all the family together was a special treat. As I photographed the four generations of women in my life--mother-in-law, wife, daughter, and granddaughter--I realized how precious this cycle of life was, and how rich the diversity around me was.
I never really considered the enormous range of talents and work lives of my own family represented there: a meat cutter, a maintenance supervisor, an art gallery owner, a computer system supervisor, a tow-truck operator, a police officer, a pipe-fitter, a bank officer, a teacher, an office worker, a retail operations manager, a sales manager, a transportation consultant, a retired pharmacist, and on and on.
One common theme--all part of my family, all loved ones with spouses, children, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins. When the "human resource" professionals speak about diversity, it somehow comes out sounding like something in a bottle or out of a textbook. It isn't. It is the very fabric of life and the richness of business itself.
The last event of the five days was a sad one. I came home to a message from the wife of a former colleague and friend that he was dying of cancer and didn't have long--so if I wanted to speak to him, I should call soon. (I did, and had a nice conversation--he died five days later.) It was then that reality hit me.
We worry about a lot of things in business and in life: promotions and demotions, projects and deadlines, late airplanes and early meetings. We espouse fancy theories and speak in high-sounding phrases. When it comes to the bottom line, I believe the life of business and the business of life are pretty much alike. Care deeply. Do good. Help people. You never know when your time is up.
Enjoy the sunshine and flowers on a summer day. Give somebody you love a hug. Live, love and leave a legacy. And be sure to keep things in perspective. Most of all appreciate the richness and diversity of the world and the people around you--they are what success in life (and business) is all about. I am not sure of many things--but of this I am certain!
I FIRST WROTE THIS ARTICLE 25 YEARS AGO. I LIKED THE MESSAGE THEN, AND I STILL DO.
Suddenly Last Summer--A Perspective on Diversity and Life
People are where it all begins … and ends
©John Mariotti 1996
I had an interesting five days last summer, and I want to share some of the thoughts these days brought to mind. I grew up in a very small midwestern town where I learned, above all else that people are "just people." I hadn't even thought much about wealth, status, or such things for a lot of my early years. I guess the professionals and business owners did have slightly larger homes, but few people said much about it.
People have often asked me about the key to leadership success and one of the first words that usually comes out of my mouth is "caring," usually followed rather quickly by words like "character, values, integrity, and doing good!" Over the years of my career I have found the old phrase "what goes around comes around" to be especially true when it involves leading people or being part of a real team, in a successful (or even a not so successful) setting.
There are times that success is based on more than "just people," but they are relatively few. Competency is required, no doubt about that. Courage and persistence and hard work are necessary too. Perhaps most of all, the appreciation of the richness of the diversity and talents of people is what makes the whole picture complete.
This summer day, as I walked the streets of my old hometown with my wife of 32 years, the beauty surrounding me moved me. On a weekday morning, the streets were quiet and peaceful. The sun shimmered with a special clarity and brightness. The old shade trees cast big, cool shadows as a light breeze rustled their leaves. A few people washed windows or tended their gardens. A dog barked and the faint sound of hammers signaled some repair work being done. The yellow of the day lilies and the green of the grass were so bright they could have come from an impressionist painting. Nearly everyone who drove by waved. This is a place where people cared about people; a place where they knew your name and your face; a place with a slower, warmer, friendlier life and pace. In this place, I learned that people are above all else, regardless of their station in life, just people.
The next day, I visited a company where I had worked for 12 years--but that was seventeen years ago! I had not been back for over ten years, but there were still about 15-20 people working there who I knew well. The reception they gave me was terrific. I found I immediately recalled names of people I had not seen for 10-15 years, and I realized how much people meant to my career and life. Two specific events stick in my mind.
One was the parting handshake and after a brief hesitation, a warm hug from a man with 41 years service (whose father before him had worked for this company over 45 years!). This was a man I found working in the service department, who has been a management stalwart in production planning for over 20 years. What an exceptional treasure.
The second event was a comment by another close friend whose job the past few years might best be called "human relations." While discussing some of the managerial errors of the past, he said emphatically, "It's pretty simple. Tell the people what's going on, make sure they understand what needs to be done, and then help make sure it's getting done. But never, ever lie to them!!" So much for high-minded theories and fancy terms. Common sense, honesty, and decency with people can accomplish a lot.
My next stop that week was for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party. Seeing all the family together was a special treat. As I photographed the four generations of women in my life--mother-in-law, wife, daughter, and granddaughter--I realized how precious this cycle of life was, and how rich the diversity around me was.
I never really considered the enormous range of talents and work lives of my own family represented there: a meat cutter, a maintenance supervisor, an art gallery owner, a computer system supervisor, a tow-truck operator, a police officer, a pipe-fitter, a bank officer, a teacher, an office worker, a retail operations manager, a sales manager, a transportation consultant, a retired pharmacist, and on and on.
One common theme--all part of my family, all loved ones with spouses, children, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins. When the "human resource" professionals speak about diversity, it somehow comes out sounding like something in a bottle or out of a textbook. It isn't. It is the very fabric of life and the richness of business itself.
The last event of the five days was a sad one. I came home to a message from the wife of a former colleague and friend that he was dying of cancer and didn't have long--so if I wanted to speak to him, I should call soon. (I did, and had a nice conversation--he died five days later.) It was then that reality hit me.
We worry about a lot of things in business and in life: promotions and demotions, projects and deadlines, late airplanes and early meetings. We espouse fancy theories and speak in high-sounding phrases. When it comes to the bottom line, I believe the life of business and the business of life are pretty much alike. Care deeply. Do good. Help people. You never know when your time is up.
Enjoy the sunshine and flowers on a summer day. Give somebody you love a hug. Live, love and leave a legacy. And be sure to keep things in perspective. Most of all appreciate the richness and diversity of the world and the people around you--they are what success in life (and business) is all about. I am not sure of many things--but of this I am certain!
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THE “PRESENT”
–– Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises
–– Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
REMEMBER—Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a Gift. That's why we call it – “The Present.”
• · Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
• · Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
• · Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
• · Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
• · Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
• · Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
• · Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
• · Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.
• · Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
• · Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
• · Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
• · Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
REMEMBER—Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a Gift. That's why we call it – “The Present.”
Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises
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i HOPE THIS BONUS EDITION GAVE YOU SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT … JUST REREADING THEM DID THAT FOR ME.
ALL THE BEST,
JOHN
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