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The pursuit of mediocrity is always successful. Was a mantra to a guru HRM that I was head hunted by years ago. She pushed me to stretch out of my comfort zones and aim to be legendary. What a role model she was and is. OK service just isn't good enough. "I shopped at New World today and nothing bad happened to me." - said no one to anyone ever! Perhaps I'm just having a bad day but I'm really a tad angry and frustrated. I'm f'd off. At the ineptitude and lack of drive I've been experiencing lately. If my anger at others really is a mirror of what's going on for me personally then I guess its a loud call that I need to push myself harder. To scull a shot of life's wake up call each morning and realise none of us have the time not to get this. Reason 1 for the Rickshaw Run. Time to push the limits. D.A.R.E again to live out loud to see how far I can go doing amazing things to support others and to feel the colour it adds to my life. But first - get the work done, the proposal emailed, the invoice out, the GST in, the house sorted and the washing put away pronto. Check out CK Lewis on you tube - "Everything is awesome yet nobody is happy"; to get the drift of what I'm saying. We are experiencing the anthropocene. The time epoch where humanity holds the perceived balance of power on the planet and it's wasted on a generation of us with a huge sense of entitlement demonstrating activity that inspires very little exemplary at all. The generational inequity is daunting - benefits, expectations of social welfare, government and entitlement are everywhere. You don't have to move your feet far off your ottoman or even lean forward on your couch to hear the media bag yet another aspect of how hard life is in today's world. Get real! Count a few of your own first world problems... The charger on my i phone 5 means that now none of my techno wired house features work without adapters is an all too common cry. I remind myself that the women of Macetown managed to wear layers of white petticoats under well pressed dresses laundered by hand at minus 14 degrees c in the river in winter any time I want to B-itch about having to fold my washing warm and soft from the dryer. Those with the means manage to excuse ourselves from the most character building of activities. Because when we are executives we buy into the perks. A lust for luxury and desire to be elite. Convincing ourselves that success is a ticket out of service and selflessness. We deserve to sleep in, eat out, have nannies, fly first class while someone else scrubs the dunny, disciplines or hugs the kids and empties the cat litter. In training sessions when asked to describe customers most groups serve a nation of drama queens, haters, wasters and complainers. Put that together with most of the customers who are getting appalling service every where they go. What a bunch of no hopers we've all turned into. Are we really scrapping the bottom of the wine barrel then whinging at the sediment? When those still unemployed are there because they won't pass the drug tests or don't want to work the public holidays. Most weeks I come up with a couple of start up business ideas. I've encouraged my kids to sell horse poo, wash cars, pick herbs to DO more. Yet an hour a day after school and I've spoiled them. So right now all of you hands up. If you are the person out there giving the crap service and whinging when you get worse service elsewhere this is the time to line up next to me, stand up and be counted. What? it's not you? If it's not you and it's not me then who on earth could it be? Is it because we have all been caught up in the quest to be entrepreneurial , creative types who can multi task and create a great work life balance? Even those who can't read or write because it's not our first language or we have a different learning style to that which the system operates in. How is it that all of us manage to stuff around finishing little and creating mayhem for others to sort out in our wake. While we primp, preen and posture, throw tanturms, cheat or lie, blog, network and lunch? Maybe we justify our mediocrity as we work 14 hour days, go without breakfast or lunch and take care of three kids while volunteering to coach the touch rugby game. Respect for people, places and things seems to have fallen by the wayside. As we meet to discuss the values for private schooling it's unanimous - manners, old school traditions. Opening doors, calling people by their surnames, standing when the boss, teacher or customer enters, making eye contact, smiling, acknowledging each other, respecting your elders are traditions we long for to give a feeling of security and comfort. If kids can't wear a formal uniform at school how the hell will they show up to work on time and dressed for success. If they swear at their mothers, and graffiti their desks and bodies will they feature on police 10 seven instead of the high school year book or the rich list ? I witness senior mangers leaving for an hours drive to a meeting, 10 mins prior to its scheduled start time. Keeping 10 people waiting ...where is the cost benefit ratio in that? Getting passport photos supplied electronically when children's applications must be hard copy takes three trips to the camera shop to sort out. None of it on purpose, but maybe that is our problem. Together in love spirit and purpose is engraved on the inside of my wedding band. Ten years this month - maybe I should now tatoo it across the back of my hand. To remind me that the connection to life is bigger than I've seen and the obligation is to get on with it, now. There is the wwoofer who came to help in the garden, learning on a study abroad scheme at the expense of the UK government and courtesy of Otago university. A sweet kid it was a major to drag herself out to meet the day before 11am, or fill more than a bag of horse poop an hour. The garden she meticulously weeded does demonstrate that she may be well suited for the career in archeology that she is following. Indeed history may be made while she digs. It took four days to clear 50 square metres, correction 10 of them are still undone. As a trainer I know that I have a tendancy to give the level of instruction that I would need to do a job. So I felt a dash of pride when I'd explained grid by grid what I wanted to have happen. Over the week my own speed increased as did my productivity. In an attempt to lead from the front I got a hell of a lot done. She was a great hit playing with the kids and read 7 books in the week that she was here. So I'm sure that contributed something to the collective good. But was it worth it? Consider my lovely neighbours scenario who had random house sitters offer to take care of their place over the summer. Great, though now they are gone and have left ALL their stuff in the garage, no rent, no fee, no care. When asked when it's going to move... their new place isn't very big... And? the point is?? Is it time to embrace a paradigm shift back to excellence? With unitasking and the rise of the intraprenurial. Some B.F.O's for this weeks journey... Focus on one thing at a time do it exceptionally well and finish it. Work in the business not on it. Look for ways to do things better and faster. Use less resources to be more productive. Respect for people places and property. Not wrecking the planet cause it's where we keep all our stuff. Time to lift the game and demonstrate good sportsmanship. If your not first you are last and second is the first loser. Celebrate winners - Drink a cup of metaphysical concrete and harden up. I'll give it a day or two and let you know how I go.
1 Comment
Joanna
16/4/2013 14:43:57
So I'm watching one channel while recording two others... I'm unitasking right!? I'm totally in the moment. In all seriousness, I'm totally on board with this. Quality AND productivity are up at work when I'm concentrating on finishing one job at a time. The ability to prioritise and delegate are pretty critical complementary skills to successfully unitask though.
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