FGHart

Sunday I took my 15 year old out for a driving lesson. He’s had his driving permit for over 6 months. He’s had many hours of behind-the-wheel experience. He’s completed all of his driver’s training and he’s a decent driver (better than his sister’s were at that age). He’s driven our SUV and our “little car” (Hyundai Accent) to the point of boredom. He’s actually turned down driving opportunities – “Nah, it’s okay,” he says, “you drive.”

But Sunday was a special driving lesson. One that he’d been waiting for, eagerly pestering me for months. “When can I drive the Mustang?” You see, the Mustang has a manual transmission. And 8 cylinders. Very powerful, very cool, but also a little trickier than what he was used to. He was very confident in his skillz, however. Undaunted as only a 15 year old can be in the face of new challenges.

We went to the local park and drove around the parking lot for a while. It didn’t take long before he had a healthy new appreciation for the power, yes, but also the challenge of mastering the clutch and gear shifting. He practiced starting in stopping, slowing, turning, etc. all in 1^st gear. Then he practiced 1^st to 2^nd to 1^st to 2^nd. He only stalled out once, so he got to practice starting the car up. And finally he experienced putting the car in reverse and backing up.

It was a short driving lesson, relatively speaking. The more important lesson may have been the reminder not to be overly confident in our ability: past success doesn’t always translate to competence in something new.

I see this often in myself and others. We’re good at something so we assume we’ll be good at similar things. We don’t always appreciate the hidden challenges, trusting in our innate abilities. I believe this is an inherent flaw woven into the fabric of our human nature. It’s this weakness that leads us away from seeking God’s hand in all things, at all times. We believe we’ve got it, life is well in hand. Then, after a few shaky attempts we realize we’re not quite ready after all. It’s then that the wise turn to Him and the weak turn to “crutches”.

Lord, help me to remember that you’re always with me. I don’t have to prove anything. Where I lack the skills I need, you complete me.

I’m transitioning into my new role. I can’t possibly manage to do three jobs at once and be effective. I’ve hired an Office Manager (Alleluia!) who seems to be adjusting to her new role. I don’t have a lot of time to train her so I must graciously allow for the inevitable mistakes. I’d rather have someone who accepts general direction, tries and fails than have someone who sits passively waiting for detailed instructions from me.

Meanwhile, I’m still swamped. Every day is a juggling act with too many balls in the air, too many plates spinning, too many sharp objects in flight. Rapid decision-making and a willingness to let some things hit the ground are my new operating model. My inbox exploded last month. I’m copied on all sorts of e-mails, both relevant and irrelevant. There’s no need for me to read everything but I appreciate having the awareness of all of the activity underway to launch our latest product family. I’m developing the ability to quickly scan, assess and act.

I’m must spend (read “waste precious”) cycles cleaning up messes left behind by my company’s former administration. I have faith that things will settle down soon but meanwhile I’m learning some important lessons. One lesson is that sometimes it’s okay to walk away from things. Discretion is required to determine how much effort to put into a given situation. I have to ask myself, “how much should I invest in this given all that is competing for my attention?”

I recently found myself struggling to get through a book I’m reading for leisure with the intent to write a review. It never occurred to me to walk away with the remaining pages unturned. It took me weeks to read the first ~50 pages. Then this book sat (for more weeks) on the top of my stack of books to read. All progress stopped. After reading Michael Hyatt’s article on reading non-fiction I decided to write the review, including the disclosure “I never made it past the first 50 pages.” In the end, I decided I could devote enough time to scan through the rest of the book, looking for jewels buried in the unread text. I spent exactly 1 hour reading the next 200 pages and indeed, I found a few note-worthy jewels. I wrote a review and now I’m ready to move on to the next book. I feel good. I didn’t quit reading the book but I quit reading the book as if it were a Physics textbook.

This is the foundation of compromise: revisiting goals and assessing what’s required to satisfy those goals. It’s self-defeating to try to be an overachiever in every aspect of life. Trade-offs are necessary.

Have you ever had to reassess and adjust your goals in order to be successful?

There are so many ways we greet each other when passing in the office hallway. A simple “hi” or maybe “how are you?” Or “Good morning” or “afternoon” if appropriate. But in the wake of a layoff (or “Reduction In Force” – RIF), “it’s good to see you” takes on a whole new meaning.

Wednesday afternoon all of the faces I saw looked tired, drained, shell-shocked. I said with sincerity, “it’s good to see you” to my weary colleagues. Some folks had the temerity to express  relief and surprise as survivors. Many expressed fear (it’s only a matter of time, right? Surely there will be another wave of “action” some day). Some expressed chagrin (there’s a certain relief after the ax falls and you’re free, with a healthy severance check in hand).

My team and I spent most of the day secure in our lab. The day we separated us from our former employer seems distant now. It’s been well over a year. We didn’t get a severance package but we remained employed. Some people pitied us but I think we’re blessed in many ways.

By Thursday almost everyone in the halls seemed to be past the worst of the shock. There’s been so many days like Wednesday I’ve lost count. Everyone is affected by the actions. Everyone will have to “work smarter” in order to pick up the pieces and keep things on track. The show must go on! The product delivery will not be impacted. We’ll meet the needs of the business.

Maybe it’s hard-hearted but it is business. I pray for all of us to trust in God and maintain our faith in His greater glory. That may not pay the bills but it will keep us all right-minded. Meanwhile Facebook status updates and supportive comments reflect the sentiments and compassion of all. And my inbox overflows with Linked-In and Plaxo networking requests. God bless us, everyone.