August 2016 - Ralph Masengill

It is all about choice

To suffer one’s death and be reborn again is not easy. Too bad we have to suffer so many “deaths” in order to see the light. I think that must be related to the healing/growing process of moving from “…preferring the security of known misery, to the supposed misery of unfamiliar insecurity.”

What we are talking about is the risk of change. Here is my definition of change: All men and women regard all change, both good and bad change, with a feeling of loss [example remorse], and that feeling of loss always creates some form of anger. One example of the kind of anger we are talking about is anxiety. There are several others as well.

Why is it so important that we know about and understand change? We humans, and there are no exceptions, are constantly involved in change. Change never stops. It is always constantly going on in us and around us. The truly successful men and women of the business community have a good understanding of change and how you can control change to your advantage. You cannot stop it, but you can control change.

It is true you will not skid in a rut. But, you have no control where that rut will take you. You have lost your freedom. “You are in a rut”. To not change is to lose control. To lose you freedom. Laurence J. Peter states that “A rut is a grave with the ends knocked out.” He is talking about life without understanding the importance of change.

Mark Twain put it his way “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.” Many good people refuse to accept the risk and uncertainty that change always brings with it. They force themselves to live in a self-imposed stagnant prison of their own making. They have part of it right. There can be some security in a prison. I would name the prison Opportunity Lost. When it comes to change we really only have two choices. One is to embrace change with gusto. The second is to not admit that change is constant and live in denial.

Someone said, “Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain”. I believe, the happiest people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. Choose Change. It is the only path to true happiness and business success.

Philosophy 1

Have you or any of your friends ever been called a Post Turtle? Being labeled a Post Turtle by your fellow team members or your customers is not a positive thing. At least it is not in the part of Tennessee where I grew up.

We here in Tennessee like stories. Here is the story of the Post Turtle. The old farmer speaks, “Well, yaa know, some people are like a Post Turtle.” Not being familiar with the term, a friend asked him what a ‘post turtle’ was. The old farmer said, “When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a post turtle.

The old farmer saw the puzzled look on his friend’s face so he continued to explain. You know that turtle didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, and he doesn’t know what to do while he’s up there, and you just wonder what kind of person put him up there to begin with. Now that’s a Post Turtle”.

In retrospect can you recognize a few Post Turtles? I can. I hope none are in your company or in your department. Post Turtles, as you would expect, are not well thought of by other team members. In addition I have discovered that the person who put the turtle on the fence post in the first place may be the one that has lost the most respect from team members.

Leaders are held accountable by other team members for the job promotions and the positions they fill whether it is intended or not. This could end up being a lose lose situation for both you and your company. The first thing you must do is find out if you have any Post Turtles. All good leaders know the capabilities of new team members based on resumes, references, personal knowledge, etc. before they are hired or promoted. With all that information mistakes can still be made. It is a good idea to go back about every six months and check on all team members you have brought into the group or you have promoted. A leader’s job does not end with the appointment, it just continues.

Leaders sometimes fail to see how putting the wrong person in a position can be a real threat to a leader’s ability to lead. Team members follow those that they respect. It is a good idea to check often on the folks you have hired or promoted for a lot of reasons. One reason is your personal reputation with the team. You never want to be associated with a Post Turtle.