Influencing a "Better" outcome

Hey all,

I just had a great conversation with a fellow co-worker that was cool I wanted to write about it.

How often during during the course of our days do we get aggravated with a situation or with a person? How often does a circumstance just drive you crazy! Sometimes it just seems like there are so many things that we have swirling around us that don't seem to be going well that it can be overwhelming doesn't it? Or maybe it is a certain person in our life (at work or personally) who just seems to be making one bad decision after another. You can just see that they are heading for trouble. It is really easy to see this at work isn't it. Man, how quickly we can see what other people (or functional areas) are doing wrong at work. Just ask someone at work about another area and they will quickly tell you what they need to do better. Most of you know exactly what I am talking about don't you? Comes to us pretty easy at work doesn't it?

But here is the thing.....why don't we do anything about it? Really, think about that.....why don't we do anything about it?

If it is a friend, why don't we go talk to them. Tell them the truth. Confront them on something....or perhaps share a similar experience we had and the mistakes that we made? Why don't we want to go "there"? What are we afraid of?

Or at work....why don't we talk to that other employee who is making errors or mistakes? Why don't we call a meeting or pick up the phone? Maybe send a email? Or call their Supervisor to offer assistance? What keeps us from wanting to put forth the effort to engage?

The hard truth is that most of the time we don't engage because the world would tell us that it is "none of our business". Just mind your own business and look out for yourself. Look out for number one. Worry about your own area. Worry about your own job. It is sad but it is true. We have been programmed to just stay "out of it". We have been brought up to believe that we have enough of our own stuff to worry about so don't invite in more. We afraid that if we do something about "it" then we will be accused of being bossy, hypocritical, or judgmental. So we usually don't. We just observe....and then secretly.....and most times unknowingly......we judge. We judge. We abdicate to someone else and we judge. We sit back and do nothing. We pass judgement and wait for someone else to resolve it. Whether is another friend or family member or another part of the company. And that typically yields a very negative outcome doesn't it? Generally speaking......these things rarely just solve themselves.

But here is the thing. If we address these things that are upsetting us with a purely servant heart and only one specific objective....which is to "influence a better outcome", then we can guard ourselves from it being selfish. We can put others first. It is not about us. By doing this we can model what it looks like to "champion" something or "mentor" someone. To be a catalyst for something better. A better outcome. For a situation or a person. Don't get me wrong.....I am not suggesting that we run around and get all up in peoples business......but can we provide more life to others when we are not afraid to get involved can't we? Can we help champion synergy and teamwork when we are not afraid to get involved? Can we experience more life ourselves when we take the time to invest in others and be a champion for good? I think we can. I know we can.

My co-worker described it this way during a conversation today and I was blown away by the simplicity of how we can provide more life to others or to a bad circumstance by simply taking our heart to serve and trying simply to "influence a better outcome".

I ran across this story that illustrates some of what I am trying to say.......

"There is a story of a boy who valiantly, but unsuccessfully attempted to move a heavy log to clear a pathway to his favorite hideout. His Dad stood quietly nearby , watching his son straining against the load. Finally he said, " Son, why aren't you using all of your strength?"

Confused and a little bit angry, the boy responded, "Dad, I'm using every last little bit of strength I have!"

"No Son, your're not," his Dad quietly responded. "You haven't asked me to to help".

Strength and Honor,

SW