Don't believe everything you read

Don’t believe everything you read. If you do, you subject yourself to a type of slavery. You have to use good judgment in deciding what words have value. It’s important to trust the source of the information which is normally accomplished through research and the passage of time. Writers are all over the internet attempting to sell products and services with good copywriting skills. I find some of these pitches to be tempting as well. But each of us should do our best to uncover the source and make a prudent decision about what we read.

Stay out of the way

Another quote I read recently from Peter Drucker was “So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult to work.” This one is funny because I think all employees of all levels can identify with it. When I worked for bosses in the past, I can remember thinking “if they’d just stay out of the way and let me do my job, it’d be done faster and better.” And then as a boss (co-worker is a more preferable word for me personally), I try not to get too involved so people can do their jobs and I try to dispense with advice only when asked or in obvious situations. Again, it’s a balancing act.

Individual and Team

I read a quote from Peter Drucker (the great management guru) which said “For it is the willingness of people to give of themselves over and above the demands of the job that distinguishes the great from the merely adequate organization. “ I think what’s noteworthy about the quote is it emphasizes both the individual and the team. One cannot exist without the other. While each person’s self interest (appropriately so) is to make money and provides for their needs, there’s a commonality of interest achieved through hitting team goals. People are general social, some more, some less, but each with some degree to be part of a larger whole. Most of the time this is within the context of employment, family, and the community at large. And while practicing a proper balance between all three, each person can reach a greater degree of fulfillment.

The Economy

People have gone beyond being worried about the economy it seems. There’s appears to be a general acceptance that we got hit by a horrendous economic storms. Now we’re left picking up the pieces. I’ve tried to discern at times and at varying levels what this means to me, our company, our city, the country, and beyond. The only clear response is change is constant and we must respond the best we can. No “perfect” response exists. Since we’re so interdependent in the business setting on so many variables, we simply do our best to fulfill our function and trust the good nature of others you depend on will do the same. And depending on whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, you may need to find that downtime to breathe and achieve some perspective in this regard. The go-go years of the 90s through the mid 2000s are over. But is that really a bad thing? Maybe we’re just returning to a more balanced existence.