I see it all the time. Someone in the world drops the ball, and doesn't do something they most likely should have. Didn't do their job. Didn't finish a task. Did something incorrectly. You name it. Someone else comes along and does the job, finishes the task, or corrects the mistake. They could be the 'hero,' but too often they're not.
We all make mistakes. Occasionally things go wrong. Sometimes it’s our fault. Other times there’s nothing we could have done to prevent it. Now I’m not one to often compliment the airline industry, but this weekend Delta impressed me on my trip back from Memphis.
Our minds are a lot like computers. Every now and then we need to restart our machines. Clean out the clutter, delete old unused files, remove viruses. Whenever a computer in our office is having a problem, the first thing our IT Director will ask is, "Did you reboot?" And yes, that actually work most of the time.
I love Southwest Montana. It is my home, and I want the very best for it. It is unique, beautiful, and full of good energy. Great people, schools, businesses. Really, we live in one of the truly special places. There has been a big push here in Bozeman for the past few years to 'Shop Local.' I get it. The thought is that locally based businesses care more about our community and employ local people.
I was having a cocktail with a friend the other night, and we were talking about life stuff. He was asking some questions about my medical adventures of the past eight years, and commented that he was amazed at what a positive attitude I had about it all. I told him that there had been a few days along the we way when he wouldn’t have categorized me as positive. And I took a sip of scotch.
A lot of what I do has me communicating on a daily basis with people in other parts of the country. From New York and Arizona, to Billings and Missoula. Phone calls, email, text messages, internet, webinars, (and yes, still faxes from time to time).
I needed to get my oil changed this weekend. Actually my wife needed to get the oil changed in her car, but I owed her 40-bucks, so I took her car in and paid to get the oil changed. Now we’re even right? (Actually, we’re even financially, but she owes me an hour and a half of my life back.)
On Saturday the New York Jets were down with only a minute and a half left after the Colts, playing at home, just scored to go up by two. In ninety seconds the Jets' season would be over. However, New York marched down the field and kicked a field goal with no time left on the clock. Final score, J-E-T-S 17, Indy 16. And NY coach Rex Ryan finally had his elusive win over quarterback Peyton Manning.
When I was in 4th grade, I thought 12th graders were adults (full of worldly knowledge and confidence). When I had cancer, I thought doctors had all the answers (having no question about just what to do). When I saw Barbara Streisand in concert, I thought she must love being on stage in front of thousands of people (loving the limelight and attention).
Today we will be interviewing candidates for an opening in our organization. It is always a love/hate process for me. More love than hate. I love meeting new people, learning about them, trying to find out what makes them tick. I guess the "hate" part is just the risk involved. There's a lot at stake. "Bozeman media group desperately seeking perfect person to join our team," is no easy spot to fill.
There is a push in certain circles to SIMPLIFY. There are simplify t-shirts, simplify bumper stickers, and simplify billboards. For some reason simplifying doesn't seem to be enough for those who seem to enjoy it. They need me to simplify too. I think they mean to encourage us to simplify our lives. To get back to the basics. To focus on what's important. I for one think that simplifying can be a lot of work.
We're busy people, living in a busy world. Jobs, families, hobbies, clubs, civic organizations, second jobs, third jobs, kids' activities, committees. It never seems to end. So much to do. So little time. Around my office, you could apply the same template to most people's daily work to-do lists
