Morning Coffee
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
and the other from a strong won't."
IS IT ABOUT POLITICS OR . . . RELATIONSHIPS?
Have you ever lost out to another for an appointment to an important committee . . . or leadership post . . . or career promotion? If so, you may have commented (at least to yourself) that it was "politics" that deprived you of the opportunity.
So was it really politics, or were there relationships involved? Consider the difference. The term "politics" is often used to cast doubt on the values or principles employed to influence an outcome. Just using the word "politics" tends to excuse us for failing to win the approval we seek.
Now consider the power of relationships. If you were caught in a blinding snowstorm with two individuals - one a personal friend with extensive outdoor survival training, and the other a total stranger - which would you choose to lead you to safety? When the youth soccer league asks you to coach next season, whom would you choose for your assistant? Would it be a fellow professional associate, with whom you have worked successfully on various projects over the past ten years - or a total stranger?
What those on the outside (looking in) call "politics" is really no more than the power of existing relationships at work. We tend to feel more comfortable with those we know and trust. Trust and familiarity are built over an extended period, and once in place become bonds difficult to break.
To continue growing in your career, as well as your personal life, consider forming new relationships with those you feel are excellent role models. About our teenagers, we tend to say "You can tell how they're doing by the friends they keep." The same rule applies to us. Make time in your life to build enduring relationships. Your world will expand, your disappointments become few, and your friends become many.
