ELEPHANT ALERT!
Getting older often means “more aches and pains.” A friend, Jay, in his 40’s, regularly plays basketball. “It’s disappointing. The knees are swollen. My shoulder hurts. And the ankles are giving me fits.”
And he keeps playing.
In many ways, today’s market is creating pains. Budgets, organizational confidence, 401K’s – they were once bulging as if on steroids. Now, perhaps because they were over-stretched, they spasm and cause sharp pain.
What do most people do when they’re sore?
Here’s the elephant in the office: People everywhere are grabbing their ice-packs, aspirin, and heading to the sidelines. They show up each day with a “wait and see” attitude. Of course, because they’re unwilling to fully commit to the cause in front of them, they only ensure their team is less likely to win when the score is tallied.
STOMP THE ELEPHANT
The answer is in Jay’s approach. “Once you get the ball, nothing hurts anymore,” he says. “When you are determined to make a play, it’s all you can focus on.” And the aches and pains go away.
It’s a trite saying, but perhaps – at this crucial moment – it’s more relevant than ever: Get in the game.
It’s a fact: If we stop exercising because of aches and pains – we exacerbate and give power to the very thing that’s knocked us down. The same goes in business. Just because things have gotten difficult doesn’t mean we should stop playing the game. We just need to play the game differently.
Ask you team:
- How can we flex our awareness and take greater action?
- What questions can we ask to create greater focus?
- In what ways are we getting stronger?
Pain may be a reality. What you do with your focus is up to you.
Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?
