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Lessons Learned – #9

Here is the ninth most important lesson I learned this year:

Sales Call – Another client needed to hire an outside sales person. The HR rep told the top candidate to call my client and set up a final interview. When he did, Mark ignored three calls and two emails. Then came this voice mail: “You’re either occupied with another priority or a file cabinet fell and you’re trapped. If it’s the first, please make hiring me a priority. If it’s the second, please let me know and I’ll send help right away.” He got the interview – and the job – the next day.

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Lessons Learned – #10

Since January 2004, I’ve written a monthly newsletter. Issue #168 is the final one. As always, I reflected on the ‘Top 10 Things’ I learned during the year. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays… with blessings galore in 2018:

#10 – Candid Feedback  – A client asked what is the biggest Kick in the A** I received during my career – something that had such a dramatic impact it made me change. The one that stands out is when we had our travel company. At a check-in meeting, the senior executive said: “David, you’re being caustic.” When I returned to my office, I looked up the word… and decided I never again wanted to be perceived as ‘sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.’

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Masked Invader

Last week – on the coldest night of the year – I stood at the back door to let in my wife as she made her way from our detached garage with Christmas packages in hand.

A few hours later the moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow – a rarity in Houston – would give the luster of midday to objects below. However, at that moment, what to my wondering eyes should appear but a miniature raccoon headed right for my dear.

I banged on the glass and he scurried away, let in my betrothed and saved the day. Then suddenly the varmint turned with a jerk, and looking straight at me went right to work. He wiggled his nose and scurried inside, clawed to the attic and there he did hide.

It’s a little chilling to know a wild animal claimed our home as his own, so I called a couple of ‘critter-ridder’ places right away to ask what to do. They suggested we wait and see if perhaps he was just seeking shelter from the temperature and might depart the next morning. Sure enough three days passed and there were no signs of him.

Then as we ate our dinner, out near the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the blinds and hoped this would pass.

His eyes, how they twinkled! His dimples how taunting! His cheeks puffed up as he returned to his haunting. That rascal raccoon chewed through a vent, intending to stay and never pay rent.

I immediately called and scheduled a removal service for the next morning. When the young man arrived and saw the damage, his said: “Wow! That’s one mean raccoon.”

We’ve lived in our home 19 years next week, yet he pointed out five access points that needed repair to prevent another intrusion. Plus, you can’t remove a raccoon and not treat and disinfect… or others will consider it an invitation to take up residence.

Thus, Kathy and my Christmas present to each other is a $1,500 pet raccoon we hope to never see again.

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One Thing

With all the trials and travails impacting Houston the past few months, it’s been a wonderful relief and distraction for the area to experience our Hometown Team in the World Series. The Astros are a combination of youthful exuberance and steady veterans who truly seem to enjoy playing together. The energy they ignite flows outward as if a resonant wave embracing all fans.

Leading two games to one – and with a big chance playing at home to put the Dodgers in a big hole – George Springer hit a home run that gave them a 1-0 lead going to the 7th inning last night. Then the bullpen took over… and the Astros lost 6-2.

Any system – or sports organization – is only as good as its weakest link Think: broken sprinkler head in your backyard, field goal kicker in college football, or busted hose on the engine of your car; if everything isn’t working in unison, there’s going to be a brown spot, broken dreams or you stranded on the side of the road.

Unfortunately, for all the Astros’ maneuvers to create a sustainable winning franchise, the failure to acquire a reliable closer prior to the trade deadline in July may prevent them from claiming their first world championship after 55 years of disappointment.

That said, hope springs eternal and all they need is for Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander to throw nine shutout innings each the next two games… and they’ll be spraying champagne in L.A. on Tuesday night and hanging a banner in Minute Maid Park come the start of the 2018 season. Even weak links can be overcome – as long as someone else picks up the slack.

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Mistaken Identity

Primum non nocere

‘First do no harm.’ Health care professionals understand that in some situations doing nothing is better than intervening and causing more problems. Sometimes I think teachers operate under a mistaken belief that they have the same responsibility when it comes to helping students.

The past two weeks were difficult on our youngest daughter… a college sophomore. One of her best friend’s sister – who is our goddaughter – died after a lifetime of physical challenges, then the mother of the two kids Kirsten watched last summer succumbed to terminal cancer. Burdened by grief and sadness, she’s struggling to keep up – and since she’s a straight A student this, too, is adding stress and pressure.

One of her classes is quite challenging and she has a test on Monday. So she approached the professor today, explained she missed a class last week to attend a funeral and asked him to clarify a few things she didn’t understand. His response: “I don’t have time to re-lecture. You’ll need to come to office hours and get the notes from someone else.” Office hours aren’t an option because the few he keeps are during times she has other classes. So she reached out to another student and realized that person didn’t have notes on what she missed.

She emailed the professor, again explaining her challenge, including: “I would not have emailed unless I truly did not know the answers to these questions, so I would greatly appreciate it if you are able to answer these.”

His response? “I’m truly sorry but I really don’t have the time over the weekend to type up my lecture notes. Please e-mail your classmates to see if anyone can help you.”

I’ve never met this professor – although I knew a few like him nearly 40 years ago when I was in college – so I don’t understand his philosophy. What I do know is students are at college to learn, professors are there to guide them on the journey, and parents/guardians/students pay a lot of money for that exchange of value.

By doing nothing, he missed an opportunity to help a student who is hurting and reached out. Instead of being a beacon of inspirational hope, he became an obstruction who added to her pain. Perhaps he was absent as a student on the day one of his professors lectured on that responsibility.

I do know Kirsten is strong and will make it despite his reluctance to help.

Per Angusta Ad Augusta: Through difficulties to great things