Who Likes a Straight Shooter?!

Who likes a straight shooter?

Who likes a straight shooter? No one at first. It’s a compliment, of courage and truth. Our best friends are what we call “straight shooter”. They inform us of the things we least want to hear, but most desperately need to hear. Why do we need to hear them? If not, some of the most important transformations we needed to make would be overlooked. We would be walking wounded, and not even know it. For example, if I go boasting over myself, bloating a story, and rebuking every advance of change, proposal, and or idea, and no one ever said anything, this tremulous path would continue. No road blocks, no lights, no information booth, no words of love that at first would sound like spikes entering your brain through your skull, right to your heart. The target, your pride and ego. The response, immediate defensive, voice raising, inner thoughts of rage, discomfort, shock, hate, dislike, and negative rejections. The, as time passes, these thoughts of how you walk, tone, and rejection, will open to realize that perhaps some adjustments may be necessary to be more healthy.
Growing comes from risk, risk causes danger and sometimes pain, which most people are scared of. As Santana says, “you got to change your evil ways, …baby”. If we truly believe that others just don’t know how to deal with us, and we don’t fit, perhaps it’s due to us not really knowing how to deal with ourselves. Taking accountability for ourselves is genuinely the most difficult path to trudge through. If we lift ourselves, and be more open, accountability is dispersed much more easily, and moments of truth won’t be received as such a shock, but more of a moment of awesome love.
Love is not a typical word to use in business. Sure it’s mentioned if someone is in personal conversation, saying how their weekend was, or about a material object of sorts, “I loved the show…I loved the dinner…I love you man in beer commercials as humor”, but do you love yourself enough to enhance your core, and inspire others around you? Do you notice, recognize, and acknowledge your patterns that need change, are open to raw feedback, and take it without rejection, and take action to transform? We live in communities. We were built to be around others, have teamwork, and collaborate. In today’s world, we are too often distracted from this event. We mull around noticing fluctuating P&L numbers, which should be replaced with the growth chart of individuals, the most fascinating, wonderful, and important P&L item. You can find us stuck under the SG&A section, a fun acronym like most that summarize someone as what they give their time for, worth, and placement. How are you measured, and how do you measure yourself? Is it by this statement, or do you make a statement of your own? Not reckless moves, but movement of calculation and care, being the Proverb, “follow the advice you give to others.”
Organizations are full of P&L members, who have much pride, as one should, personal drive, and a define their actions by their internal focus. We desperately need a transformation. A respectful revolution. An open ability to truly see the things around us, reacts differently, and transition from our old way, to a new way. We all know we are not perfect, as much as we would like to. Competition and business create a wonderful atmosphere. We need it, desire it, and allows members of a group to excel, encourage, and motivated to succeed. It improves our processes and business. Within these actions, do we take into account the bus we’re driving, how we’re driving it, the people in it, how the tires/frame/support are, the environment on the bus, comfort of the seats, if the door opens freely, there is a camera/monitoring from the driver, is the driver “licensed”, is there an emergency exit, window open/shut…? If work were encapsulated in a school bus, who would be driving, windows and doors operable, honk the horn before you hit something or someone, next to someone, talking, being spoken about, distracting, watched, watching, sitting, standing, comfortable, or are you even on the bus? You get the metaphoric picture. If the bus breaks down, does the driver blame some one in a back seat for the alternator going out? Is there enough fuel for the machine? Do people talk, move, and have respect while on their path or journey? Are there terminals and other buses for opportunities to change direction, with support from the members and most importantly the driver? Does the driver and members give feedback, and are open to it, filter it, take action, and create possibilities for a different way? If the bus gets stuck, do people rise to the occasion and assist, or go about their way, waiting for someone else to take care of it, shift blame rather than change? The way we react to difficult situations and rejection defines our identity! How do you react? How is your approach, delivery, and tone? What kind of song is sung when you’re directing your orchestra? Is it an abrupt heavy metal song, or one of a beautifully painted story with ups and downs, leveling out like most stocks, balancing harmony, praising the hard truths on the downs, bringing back up to the apexes, praising the joy of success, but not letting pride pop our balloons and burst our bubbles? Where is your fuel, love, and perspective?
The measure of productivity and measure of a person. How do you measure? Is your job truly secure? If you bring something up, what is your basis and back up other than your own perception? Are you merely a judgmental prideful person? Are you acting like your heroes and what you strive to be, or are you merely acting? Is the environment too volatile and hostile to bring up our own opinions, demand respect, and work with a healthy basis? I am sharing this with you due to how you’ve helped me change, learn, grow, and because I care enough about you to be transparent and honest enough to be so open. I am sharing this due to wanting to lead by example, lead by following, by noticing, and shooting straight, hopefully with respect to your feelings and heart. Most businesses are comprised of mainly men, so the risk I take as a man writing this, and also sharing, will be one of subversion to our normal routine, actions, and manner of interaction. We bond on insults, not our heart, love, and feelings. That is the risk I take for you, and me. The judgment of our normal operations, and personal perspectives. Are we too busy to notice our patterns, actions, and create dare I say, love? A word that may not seem to fit with business, teams, and the work place, but I argue it does. It’s not about writing a few paragraphs to vent, get noticed, show intelligence, boast, say check mate, laugh, be laughed at, sit high on a horse, or say “ha ha” like the bully from the Simpson’s. It’s not about telling someone they’re wrong, have pride, or views yourself as superior emotionally, physically, or spiritually. It is about care enough to divulge truth, grow, peel the onion to the core, be authentically genuine, and care enough to show care through the action of printing these words, sharing with you, aiding to shape and form your clay like a potter. Through is we can interact better, and of course, grow our P&L. Do you like straight shooters? I argue love is very fitting for business, us, and others. Be careful, straight shooters usually get praise, but behind the scenes are viewed as threats to leadership, but to quiet rebels, they’re “transparent, honest, needed”, and in business usually end up gone (unless they own the company)!

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