Dad told me a story, a long time ago. It goes something like this.
Ted, a manager is asked by the CEO to come to dinner to discuss the possibility of stepping up to divisional chief. So on the appointed day, Ted clocks off after a day of fighting fires, goes home, gets changed, and heads in for dinner with the CEO.
On the way in, there is a terrible accident in a tunnel, and Ted is stuck in instant gridlock. (This story dates from the days before mobile phones, go with me on this one.) So after fighting his way through the accident debris, he arrives at his dinner appointment only an hour late. After explaining why he was late, due to the tragic circumstances in the tunnel, Ted was promptly told by the CEO that he wouldn't be getting the Divisional Chief position.
At the time I thought the CEO was being overly harsh on Ted, given that the circumstances surrounding Ted being late were outside of Ted's control. It is only now, looking back, that I understand the CEO's point of view.
I'm increasingly seeing that people split into one of two pretty neatly divided categories. Those who do things, and those whom things happen to. The language used by the two groups are largely not interoperable, let alone expectations over behaviour.
Odd, but true.
"The language used by the two groups are largely not interoperable, let alone expectations over behaviour. "
ReplyDeleteI get the concept and see the pattern, but can you explain the above a little more?
The way I see it is in the way people explain what happens in their world.
ReplyDeleteThe first group will explain how wonderful and horrible things happen to them, as if they are mere spectators in their own lives.
The second group explain things happening as results of their actions. Be the results intended, unintended, perfectly judged or completely misguided.
The thing that confused me for the longest time were the coffee shop talkers who, on first pass, sound like they are from the second group, but under pressure they show their true colours by whining about how horible circumstances lead to their current predicament.
What I'm really learning is that the truly successful don't talk about what they are going to do, they just do it.