Work, Work, Work

Words of wisdom often stay with those who listen for a very long time. I remember sometime around the beginnings of my mission; there was a talk given that changed my prayers, but most importantly; it changed my actions. 

The conference address topic was on prayer, and a key subtopic was to pray and then live your prayers. I believe that a dream is a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to guide that individual to the potential they see in themselves. Just as Og Mandino states in his ninth scroll, these goals and dreams are worthless unless you do something about them. you cannot have success if you do not pay the price for it. Any other good fortune that you stumble across is merely a happy accident.

In a manger meeting recently, we talked about why managers are offered bonuses, and why they get paid better than the average crew. It’s because more is expected of us. This is a good principle of life, if you want more, you have to give more. Teachers give A’s to the students who have put in the time to understand the concepts being taught. For some students, this will come naturally, for others, they will have to spend a painstakingly long time grinding the principles and facts into their mind.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the necessity of working hard and working smart. Both are critically important. I naturally know how to work hard, but have to learn how to work smart, and there are a lot of people who naturally know how to work smart, but lack the zeal to work hard. Both by themselves will be able to accomplish many things, but if you put the two together, you can achieve anything.

In addition to working, I think that you have to know when to stand back, for whatever reason. There are times to pray like God’s listening and work like He isn’t and other times to “be still and know that [he is] God.”

Worth Their Weight in Gold

In class we talked about multiplying our worth. This brought a lot of questions, worth to who, how does one measure worth? Does the worth remain, or have to be replenished constantly; and lastly, what do I value that I would want to multiply.

I think that one of the things that I value the most is communication and initiative. I value communication in any relationship. In a personal relationship, communication can be used to give and to receive in emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs. In a professional aspect, communication is important because it communicates goals and important information (like operating hours, and tasks that need completing).

I also think that initiative is important because with people that only follow, I think in a previous class we called these people “yes men”, they never grow, they are trained to do their job, much like a parrot is trained to speak. The people that I hire must be people who have a culture of learning and doing. If they do not have this culture, training will be exponentially greater to train them.

I once read a quote by the CEO of Cinnabon that skill can always be trained, but attitudes can’t. I see this evident in two employees that I work with. One has been employed at our company for less than two months. I have come to rely, trust and value this co-worker’s opinion, and actions. She has become a key team member both in skill and in culture. The other has been employed at different locations for three years, however, this employee needs constant management and guidance in many small and self-implied tasks. I dread having this person on my team because I know that I must use my skill and attention  focusing on him and not on the team.

With these two skills, the other skills will come, and the worth of a person can truly be multiplied. 

Early, Often and Bold

"Oh no! here comes another mission story..." . This is what I thought of as soon as I started thinking about what to write this week, the thought came to me because of this reflection on my mission; It was a hot day in Gilbert, South Carolina, and I had only held the calling as trainer for about five weeks. My trainee had already started with another missionary, but had strong negative feelings toward her. That's where I came in.

I remember looking my self-entitled "broken missionary" in the eye, urging her to role-play some part of a lesson we were going to teach later that day, but nothing could come out of her. She sat there, and looked at me, then sat there and looked some more. Finally after even the clock seemed impatient, she exhaled, "I just can't do it! I couldn't in the MTC, I can't now! I am a broken missionary!" 

I stared back and asked; "how much did you role-play before your mission?"

"never"

"so, you've never had practice?"

"no."

"I told you last week that I can't make cookies like you can, what did you tell me?"

"That you just need to practice."

"but, every time I make cookies, they turn out terrible!"

"you just need to do it more"

"so what did you just teach me about role-playing?"

At this point she and I both learned an important lesson. There are going to be things in life that are just not your beginning forte, Moroni said that God gave us weakness, so we can develop strength; however, that strength can't be developed without struggle and without the pain of failure. The more times we do it wrong before we do it right, the more we will know in the future not to do it.

Follow Your Heart

This week, I've thought about many of the people that have influenced me in my professional mindset. Often, when we would be brimming with business, I would have a manager who would be the only one enjoying themselves in the sea of customers. Their reasoning would be a reminder that it is the customers that we all have employment. My grandfather was also a cattle rancher and I grew up in a place with dairy farms. The response that I always hear from them when someone comments on the smell of cow manure would be a big inhale, and "it smells like money to me!". Truth is perspctive in many things, and if we can keep perspective with people, circumstances and emotions, then we can learn to be successful.  

It’s not always easy. Sometimes, especially as a leader; you’re tired, you want a break, but you have to keep going. There is so much demanded of leaders, and they need to remember to stay strong in keeping their standards, especially when the going gets tough, and there is no apparent accountability. I believe that as leaders do this, they will spread that attitude to the people that a leader wants to stick around. In order to be a great leader, you must first learn to be a great follower..

Og mentioned being a master of his emotions. I really found it influential that he accepts that he is part of nature and that he is not perfect. There will be bad days. Those bad days can vary in intensity based on your mood. I know that there are sometimes that I have gone through a day that would have eaten me up and spit me back out, but I was in a good mood, so the day was remarkably good. Our mood can change a lot.