Bumps

 

 Cindi Mortimer-Kies

 

BUMPS…

 

Bumps in the road. Depending on the state you live in…More or less…

Does the end justify the means? Are bumps necessary to get us where we need to be?

In the spirit of open kimono, here we go…

 

Cindi has now joined FBC. YAY!!! Cindi has extensive experience leading teams, working through conflict, and articulating clear visions for a preferred future, and…To start things off, she’s been “shadowing” me, trying to get a feel for what I do and who I am.

Kind of like a couple who are dating having a fight before they get married – they get a dose of reality before the honeymoon is over…Cindi and I hit a bump.

 

Cindi, my wife and I were driving to a meeting. We were on a freeway when we saw a sign diverting traffic. The diversion meant we were going to be late to a meeting, and I HATE BEING LATE!!

 

It went from bad to worse when I, knowing I had another meeting later in the day, took it upon myself to do meeting notes that Cindi was going to do/had already done…I chose, on my own, to do something to lighten my load, without thinking of how that would impact Cindi. Cindi, to her credit, did the right thing. She came to me and said, I’m upset. I came here to lighten your load…Then, the one that really got me…She said, It’s not all about you Mark!  Ouch! But she was right…

So, in real time, we hit a bump…But, we kept “driving.” In truth, it was better to hit that bump now than in six months. Reality. We need to deal in reality. Relationships, team, life – bumps happen.

 

We’ve replayed this bump numerous times…Cindi, Lyn and me. What could we have done differently? I could have slowed down and listened…and explained why I was doing what I was doing. Or, better yet, I could have asked Cindi how she’d like to handle the notes, given my stress and the timing of everything. Cindi has said she could have approached me with her upset-ness differently than she did. We did some of what you’ve heard me call “game film.” Game film helps you get better…next time. And, there will be a next time.

 

What do you do when you

 hit the bumps on the road of life?

 

You can blame the car that it didn’t absorb the bump. You can quit the journey. Or, you can drive on, knowing that bumps are part of the voyage. You can do some game film.

Ask yourself,

Are the right people on the right bus in the right seats

given the bumps we will hit?

 

Can I see the bump coming ahead of time?

 

How do I navigate well the bumps

 I will inevitably encounter?

 

By all means, avoid bumps if you can…Particularly unnecessary bumps. But, truth is, not all bumps are unavoidable. And some are a necessary part of a valuable voyage. Don’t avoid those!

You’ll be glad you did…or, in this case, didn’t!

 

 

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