Skip to main content

Our Next Generation

 

Owens Illinois, Bridgeton, NJ

One of the benefits to growing older is the possibility of expanded perspective. Because things have changed so much, change doesn't seem so disruptive. Because we've experienced difficult times before, tough times seem more like the natural order of things rather than impending doomsday. For goodness sakes, having lived thru the daily fear of nuclear annihilation other problems pale in comparison. They're still serious, yet survivable.

As leaders we owe our teams a sort of resilient perspective. Especially our younger team members, who have not lived thru crisis after crisis for decades on end and might hear their own doomsday clock ticking loud enough to deepen their anxiety. We can help with that, even when we can't solve every problem. For not every problem is solvable, at least not immediately, but given determination, science, and able leadership each generation can make life better. 

I admire our youngest generations for their willingness to make things better. There's no need to accept the nonsense and inequity that have for centuries (yes, I know, way longer) walked hand in hand with progress. True progress should be, and can be, fair. We do not have to marry money and evil, materials and mistakes. We are all still learning no matter what our age, and learning leads to improvement.

Our next generation, the generation of change and improvement that we start today, matters. We hold brilliant possibilities in our hands. Let's make the most of it -- fairly, humanely, and with respect.

-- doug smith

P.S. About the photo:

I don't know who took this arial picture of the Owens Illinois glass factory in my home town of Bridgeton, NJ. It's not there anymore -- most of the structure has been torn down. At one time it was a thriving jobs generator that needed so many workers it had to recruit them from the south. Some of my family hails from West Virginia as a result. Every family in the small town of Bridgeton was touched in one way or another by this company. But, as did so many companies in once-thriving small towns across the northern United States did, the glass factory fled to the south, taking with it all of its jobs and the last shreds of prosperity our small town knew. 

How is this a symbol of our next generation? This is what I think: we cannot rely on big companies to take care of us -- they have made that crystal clear. But we cannot let them determine our fates, either. 

When we work to solve problems and achieve our goals, let's restore some nobility to the process. Let's consider all of our constituents before slicing a corner to save a buck. Let's build a better world with room for everyone. It's not easy, and we've been doing a terrible job at it forever, but we can and must change. Why not change our next generational innovations into the best ever? It's worth a try.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Constructive Feedback

Wouldn't it be nice if the only feedback we got was all positive? Our self-esteem would be so happy. Our confidence would be flying high. Work would be wonderful! The problem is, the mistakes we make, the opportunities we miss, the offenses we offer would go unchecked leading to - gulp - worse performance. Yes, we love the positive feedback. I can run a week on one "good job!" We also really need the constructive comments. Ready or not, we can always improve. Asking only for positive feedback sounds comforting but it's wrong. We need to ask for feedback and handle it, positive or not. If we do not receive any constructive feedback, as high performance leaders we owe it to ourselves and our teams to ask for it. It's also true when it comes to delivering feedback. Our constructive feedback for others may make them uncomfortable. Our observations of behavior may run counter to their self-evaluation. As leaders, we owe it to people to help them improve, to lead them t

Master Something...

Are you good at everything? Me, either. The list of people who are good at everything is short. That's OK. You don't need to master everything, but you DO need to master something. What are you working on to master these days? -- doug smith  

About Your Attitude

How is your attitude today? I'm sure that you've already encountered someone with a healthy attitude and also someone with a less than healthy attitude -- and how has that affected you? There are more things in this life out of our control than there are things IN our control, but attitude fits right there within your own control. Not what other people express in their voice, tone, and body language, but what YOU do control in your thinking, interpretation, response, speaking, and actions. You are the number one specialist for your own attitude and it shows. Treat your attitude well, love it fully, nature it daily, and let it shine. It just might upgrade the attitude of those around you, too. -- doug smith

Not too short

  We like things short. To the point. Skip the filler. Brief is good, but sometimes deep is necessary. Deep takes longer at first, but eventually produces more -- when it's needed. -- doug smith

Video: Marshall Goldsmith and Feed Forward

From Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Executive Coach, comes this is a great way to share fast, low risk coaching with a number of people. The three steps are simple and easy: Write down an area you'd like to improve that would have a big impact for you Ask for 2 positive suggestions for the future that would help with that area Repeat getting positive suggestions from others in the group There are two simple roles for the process: No talking about the past No judging or critiquing ideas Here's Dr. Goldsmith describing the process in one of his highly useful videos: I found this article and video from one of my favorite sources of leadership advice, GetLighthouse.com, here .

Paying Attention

How you grow is up to you, but you can learn a lot from how others have already grown. You can skip many of the same mistakes. You can build where they have established a foundation. You can grow by developing similar healthy habits. Growth never needs to stop. How are you growing today? -- doug smith  

No disrespect?

Give disrespect the attention it deserves: none. That does not mean that you accept abuse, illegal, or unethical behavior. It just means that disrespect does not earn respect. I advocate starting from a position of respect. We do well to respect everyone from the start. Respect people in the way we greet them, treat them, and (when in competition) beat them. When someone does not return that respect, or when they begin from a place of disrespect, we don't have to get angry, but we do have to get active.  Often the fastest way to get active when confronted with disrespect is to disappear. Leave. Stop honoring that person with your presence if their only goal is to do you harm. Leaving isn't always possible or recommended when you or others are in danger. Then, opposition to that disrespect may be necessary. Not to create harm or revenge, but to create safety and honor. Is that easy? Oh, no. You already know that. Is it necessary? More than ever. How do we do it? By beginning --

Stay Strong

It is a balance. If you want peace, you have to make room for justice. If you want calm, you've got to be able to weather the storm. If you want to support the weak and the needful, you must be strong enough to help. Seek peace but stay strong. Because those who do not seek peace will exploit any weakness. -- doug smith

Your Powerful Attitude

You are the number one specialist for your own attitude. Treat it well, love it fully, let it shine. Even when others try to disrupt or destroy your attitude, it is still within your control. How powerful is this? Sometimes it makes all the difference between misery and happiness. Why not choose happiness? -- doug smith  

Now

  One brilliant, fabulous, wonderful moment: now. -- doug smith