I work from home and I have a wonderful view as I overlook the city from my condo in the sky.
Some days I work from a sitting area in my bedroom, or sometimes from the dining room table, or from the living room or even from the porch area – although the sounds of cars rushing and the city noises sometimes make it hard for me to think from that spot.
No matter where I sit, the view is different yet I’m looking at the same picture.
And isn’t that just like life?
We go to the work and everyone is on the same page. They work from the same place on the same goals. They can be in their own office with a door closed or in a pit with others working around them. The project picture is the same yet everyone on the team has a different view of that project.
Yesterday I woke up to a passionate thought about a project I was working on. I sent an email to the team explaining my viewpoint and I felt great about getting that view out and setting things in motion.
And boy of all boys – did I manage to set off a blast of viewpoints from the rest of the team! The first response wasn’t what I expected. He had taken it as an attack – and I had in no way meant it that way. In fact, the two of us were really on the exact same page with our thoughts; yet, our views on how to get there were different. Another call from someone else saw it a little differently. An email from someone else did too. The responses and viewpoints of this one small part of the project took most of the day to work through. After dealing with viewpoints – the team is now ready to focus on our differences and find common ground to move the project forward – for the good of all.
Whew. I had no idea a thought – a good one with pure intentions – could create a flurry of views. And while it was difficult to work through everyone’s feelings, thoughts, ideas on the project, it was necessary and perfectly done.
“What?”
Yep, perfectly done because sometimes you have to blow things up
in order to clean things up.
After the viewpoints were all thrown out there into the pile that I started with my initial email, we had to take time to hold each one up and see how to best use that person’s thoughts and to mold them all together into one, big, fat, hairy, audacious goal.
This morning I woke up in the same condo with the same view overlooking the city. Yet, this morning I woke up with a different view of the project and I’m delighted with where we are going and feel we are in a better place with the project itself. I’m actually thrilled and can’t wait to start working on it as soon as I stop writing this blog.
As I sipped my coffee and looked outside to the city coming alive, I felt more alive today than yesterday and I knew another set of lessons were ready to be penned:
- Change your view and change your thoughts: Your view might be the one you think is right and true. But…there could be something behind the curtain that you can’t see and that something could be the one thing that is the most important or it could be that one thing that could take your project – or your life – or your business – DOWN.
- Bring all the views to the table: Others see the view differently than you do. They might see danger. They might see efficiency. They might see a land mine. They might see legal issues. They might see a pot of gold. Bring the team together and ask them for their snapshot – their view – of the situation and take into account what everyone is seeing. It will save your project in the end IF you listen intently to their view points and mull them all together before proceeding.
- Never forget God’s view: Hey my friends – never leave Him out of the equation. Believe what Hebrews 11:40 states: “God had planned something better for us so that only TOGETHER with us would they be made perfect.” I love it when I see team building examples in the Bible! God sits above us all and no matter what project you are working on – or problem – He’s got a great answer for you. Just sit and look out your picture window and ask Him what to do. Then set your ego aside; shut up; and LISTEN to Him. And if you can’t hear Him, go to a quiet place – away from the noise of your life – and be still. I promise you, if you ask Him to help you see His view of the situation, He will show it to you. And guess what – His view is higher than all the others!
Here are just a few views from my condo in the sky and take a look at the one with the Moon still glowing as the Sun rises.
What a view!
God bless America and God bless you!
Let me see – Viewing it from the left!
And let’s not forget the view from the right
And the most important view of all — From Him who made the moon, the sun and the stars — and you!
Billie has spent nearly 30 years helping CEOs through executive coaching, leadership development and board governance. She became well known throughout Florida for promoting and building CEO roundtables in every major city for Vistage Florida, a think tank for CEOs. She has earned a reputation for her keen understanding of the motivations, challenges and goals of people and has become a life-long student/teacher of leadership. She craves anything leadership related and enjoys being around the world of CEOs and executive teams. She respects the risks they take, the decision making processes they use and the jobs they create for their fellow man. She has emerged as a key resource for those who want to understand insights about business, executives, management teams and board dynamics.
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