Winning - Part 2

Earlier this week I introduced you to my friend, Charlie, a man of conviction. Charlie is a competitor, a man of purpose, far from a passive observer. He fancies himself a winner!

What's your definition of Winning?

You may have been brought up as an athlete, as I was. We were taught that in order to win we needed to be bigger, faster and stronger. Our preparation coupled with tireless effort would earn us a spot on the medal podium. It's different in work...isn't it?

There are rules in sports: Hurting your opponent is generally frowned upon and sportsmanship is always a code to live by. On a football field, however, you can smash into another human being with reckless abandon. Try that at work and you will be fired.

As professionals, we are forced to navigate a fine line between competition and collaboration with the ultimate goal of Winning! Along with our preparation and effort comes the need for a certain amount of tact. Some call it playing the game, others call it sucking up. I have won a lot of trophies in my day, none for politicking.

So we face the conundrum:
Why Can I Not be Recognized for my Effort Alone?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just show up, work, and win. Wouldn't it be great if we could just perform, without judgement, and be compensated accordingly. Our need to compete often blurs our genuine intent. We are used to recieving points when we score but if you shoot, score and no one notices...did you really score?

With this in mind, we then seek an audience through which to showcase our effort. We wait to shoot until the boss is looking (a natural human action created by a need for validation). We want to impress our employer and to be patted on the back.

What if that didn't matter?

Picture yourself on a football field with no crowd in the stands. You are sprinting, cutting, catching, and tackling. The only one who can see the scoreboard is YOU. I like that premise. If when you walk into the sunset you have a sense of fulfillment, knowing that you have done all you can to make your company better today, you are a winner!

That's my definition of WINNING! The ability to look in the mirror, look at your children, hug your sweetie, and know that you have served them well today.

When we lose, we traditionally look for someone to blame, but we could always have done more. In reality, work is not a team sport! YOU have to empower yourself to be accountable in defeat and humble in victory. You always have to be the bigger person ~ To give credit to others when you win and to accept blame when you lose. That, my friends, is.....

WINNING!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave