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Our Gifts & Our Curses

August 3, 2010
posted by Andy | View Comments

I have a good friend who always says that “The best thing about you is also probably the worst thing about you”.

According to my peers, I have both a gift for being able to make people believe they can do anything and the curse of being able to make them believe they can do nothing.


We have been working diligently to insert accountability into our culture and assign ownership to all organizational responsibilities.  It’s going great and I am very proud of our progress, however, in a few cases where something slipped through the cracks, my body language has shown obvious disappointment.

At a lunch meeting last month, I was bragging to my friend Pam about how well we were doing but that I was concerned about a few people who seemed to be struggling at the office.  As I expressed my thoughts, she looked at me and asked “Do you know how much we hate to disappoint you?

I couldn’t say a word.  The recent images of moments where I know the team felt like they disappointed me flooded through my brain.  It was then I realized how important it is for me to always convey an unconditional confidence in our team especially when we make mistakes.  Why didn’t I realize this?  Everyone works so hard and takes so much price in the company.

Needless to say, I have been pulling people aside to apologize for letting my body language and / or words shake their confidence.  These moments of contrition have actually led us to determine 3 things that are ideally present when we do make a mistake.

It was a good mistake for us to make if it was done with CARE, ANTICIPATION was applied & we hadn’t MADE THE MISTAKE BEFORE.  If all these things are represented then we will celebrate it.  If they aren’t then we will identify where the breakdown was and address it.  So far, it’s been a very helpful exercise.

With my new appreciation for this gift & curse, my next leadership quest begins.  I will tame this curse.

Wish me luck….

Andy

PS-I used this picture because we had just seen a shark in the water a few hours earlier and I was able to get my son to believe that we would be safe to go back in.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 at 3:02 pm and is filed under Productivity, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • NCSherri

    Ah, yes. I am learning this lesson myself. Thanks for writing about your experience.

  • NCSherri

    Ah, yes. I am learning this lesson myself. Thanks for writing about your experience.

  • Sarah

    Andy,rnI cannot tell you how inspirational you are to me especially with this post. It helps me have faith that there are good bosses out there…bosses that don’t just point fingers, lay blame and hold one mistake over your head forever. Bosses that can listen and see multiple sides of a situation. A boss that’s not just there to point out all the ways they think you suck, but instead is willing to work with you to better yourself for the sake of your job and the company…In that same sense someone who is also willing to admit their own mistakes and own up to their suckiness! It is import for a manager to have confidence in their employees, as well, not to only dwell on the mistakes but to also often celebrate the accomplishments in each person. Through that confidence and support your team is just going to continue to flourish. rnrnSorry for the slight rant…I’ve just been dealing with the worst case scenario recently! :) rnrnThanks for all the good you do!rnSarahrn

  • Sarah

    Andy,rnI cannot tell you how inspirational you are to me especially with this post. It helps me have faith that there are good bosses out there…bosses that don’t just point fingers, lay blame and hold one mistake over your head forever. Bosses that can listen and see multiple sides of a situation. A boss that’s not just there to point out all the ways they think you suck, but instead is willing to work with you to better yourself for the sake of your job and the company…In that same sense someone who is also willing to admit their own mistakes and own up to their suckiness! It is import for a manager to have confidence in their employees, as well, not to only dwell on the mistakes but to also often celebrate the accomplishments in each person. Through that confidence and support your team is just going to continue to flourish. rnrnSorry for the slight rant…I’ve just been dealing with the worst case scenario recently! :) rnrnThanks for all the good you do!rnSarahrn

  • Sarah

    Andy,rnI cannot tell you how inspirational you are to me especially with this post. It helps me have faith that there are good bosses out there…bosses that don’t just point fingers, lay blame and hold one mistake over your head forever. Bosses that can listen and see multiple sides of a situation. A boss that’s not just there to point out all the ways they think you suck, but instead is willing to work with you to better yourself for the sake of your job and the company…In that same sense someone who is also willing to admit their own mistakes and own up to their suckiness! It is import for a manager to have confidence in their employees, as well, not to only dwell on the mistakes but to also often celebrate the accomplishments in each person. Through that confidence and support your team is just going to continue to flourish. rnrnSorry for the slight rant…I’ve just been dealing with the worst case scenario recently! :) rnrnThanks for all the good you do!rnSarahrn

  • Sarah

    Andy,rnI cannot tell you how inspirational you are to me especially with this post. It helps me have faith that there are good bosses out there…bosses that don’t just point fingers, lay blame and hold one mistake over your head forever. Bosses that can listen and see multiple sides of a situation. A boss that’s not just there to point out all the ways they think you suck, but instead is willing to work with you to better yourself for the sake of your job and the company…In that same sense someone who is also willing to admit their own mistakes and own up to their suckiness! It is import for a manager to have confidence in their employees, as well, not to only dwell on the mistakes but to also often celebrate the accomplishments in each person. Through that confidence and support your team is just going to continue to flourish. rnrnSorry for the slight rant…I’ve just been dealing with the worst case scenario recently! :) rnrnThanks for all the good you do!rnSarahrn

  • Sarah

    Andy,
    I cannot tell you how inspirational you are to me especially with this post. It helps me have faith that there are good bosses out there…bosses that don't just point fingers, lay blame and hold one mistake over your head forever. Bosses that can listen and see multiple sides of a situation. A boss that's not just there to point out all the ways they think you suck, but instead is willing to work with you to better yourself for the sake of your job and the company…In that same sense someone who is also willing to admit their own mistakes and own up to their suckiness! It is import for a manager to have confidence in their employees, as well, not to only dwell on the mistakes but to also often celebrate the accomplishments in each person. Through that confidence and support your team is just going to continue to flourish.

    Sorry for the slight rant…I've just been dealing with the worst case scenario recently! :)

    Thanks for all the good you do!
    Sarah

  • Ironbath

    When I – rather nervously – first started work many years ago. My (very good) boss took me aside and told me that the only thing I could do which was wrong in his eyes was to not do anything. That is he was empowering me to make decisions, and if they turned out to be wrong he would support me and help to correct them… but if I didn’t step up and do what I thought was right then I was of no use to him.rnrnThis stayed with me and led me to do far more than I would have dared without the knowledge of his support… and now I always have the same conversation with anyone who ends up working for me.rnrnIt’s simply risk management: The 98% of the time when the employee excels your expectations easily makes up for the 2% when they fall short.

  • Ironbath

    When I – rather nervously – first started work many years ago. My (very good) boss took me aside and told me that the only thing I could do which was wrong in his eyes was to not do anything. That is he was empowering me to make decisions, and if they turned out to be wrong he would support me and help to correct them… but if I didn’t step up and do what I thought was right then I was of no use to him.rnrnThis stayed with me and led me to do far more than I would have dared without the knowledge of his support… and now I always have the same conversation with anyone who ends up working for me.rnrnIt’s simply risk management: The 98% of the time when the employee excels your expectations easily makes up for the 2% when they fall short.

  • Ironbath

    When I – rather nervously – first started work many years ago. My (very good) boss took me aside and told me that the only thing I could do which was wrong in his eyes was to not do anything. That is he was empowering me to make decisions, and if they turned out to be wrong he would support me and help to correct them… but if I didn’t step up and do what I thought was right then I was of no use to him.rnrnThis stayed with me and led me to do far more than I would have dared without the knowledge of his support… and now I always have the same conversation with anyone who ends up working for me.rnrnIt’s simply risk management: The 98% of the time when the employee excels your expectations easily makes up for the 2% when they fall short.

  • Ironbath

    When I – rather nervously – first started work many years ago. My (very good) boss took me aside and told me that the only thing I could do which was wrong in his eyes was to not do anything. That is he was empowering me to make decisions, and if they turned out to be wrong he would support me and help to correct them… but if I didn’t step up and do what I thought was right then I was of no use to him.rnrnThis stayed with me and led me to do far more than I would have dared without the knowledge of his support… and now I always have the same conversation with anyone who ends up working for me.rnrnIt’s simply risk management: The 98% of the time when the employee excels your expectations easily makes up for the 2% when they fall short.

  • Anonymous

    Damn they were a good boss….thanks for sharingrn– rnandy levine | 404 526 3531 direct | 404 664 9797 mobilern”Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go dornit. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

  • Anonymous

    Damn they were a good boss….thanks for sharingrn– rnandy levine | 404 526 3531 direct | 404 664 9797 mobilern”Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go dornit. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

  • Anonymous

    Damn they were a good boss….thanks for sharingrn– rnandy levine | 404 526 3531 direct | 404 664 9797 mobilern”Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go dornit. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

  • Anonymous

    Damn they were a good boss….thanks for sharingrn– rnandy levine | 404 526 3531 direct | 404 664 9797 mobilern”Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go dornit. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

  • Ironbath

    When I – rather nervously – first started work many years ago. My (very good) boss took me aside and told me that the only thing I could do which was wrong in his eyes was to not do anything. That is he was empowering me to make decisions, and if they turned out to be wrong he would support me and help to correct them… but if I didn't step up and do what I thought was right then I was of no use to him.

    This stayed with me and led me to do far more than I would have dared without the knowledge of his support… and now I always have the same conversation with anyone who ends up working for me.

    It's simply risk management: The 98% of the time when the employee excels your expectations easily makes up for the 2% when they fall short.

  • Sixthman

    Damn they were a good boss….thanks for sharing
    –
    andy levine | 404 526 3531 direct | 404 664 9797 mobile
    “Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do
    it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

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