When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear
For those unfamiliar with that maxim, it's a modern derivation of an ancient Buddhist proverb.
It is a lesson I am reminded of quite regularly and nevermore so than when I am growing in my understanding and appreciation of people, organizations and the things that make them tick.
Let me give you but the latest example.
A few weeks ago I pulled a little paperback from my bookshelves one morning.
The day before I had finished reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's 750 page Team of Rivals and I needed something else to put in its place in my early morning routine.
As I scanned the numerous titles my eyes fell on the words, "Trigger Points.
" On that basis and its manageable size (236 pages v.
750) I pulled it from the shelf.
As I scanned the first few pages I realized I had read Trigger Points by Michael J.
Kami (McGraw-Hill, 1988) twenty years ago when it first came out.
At that time I must have off-handily dismissed many of Kami's observations and recommendations given that I didn't mark many passages (the way I usually do).
Nor can I recall making much of a mental note about his thoughts on the nature and future of American business; which is, in hindsight, a shame since many of the predictions he made then have proven to be amazingly accurate.
I guess at the time I just wasn't ready to see the wisdom to be found there.
However, as I read and reread those pages in recent days and I begin filtering some two decades of additional work, study, introspection and reflection through what I found, I discovered that Kami's words are proving timeless (and timely).
At least for me.
I say that because what I read enabled me to better appreciate the principles I believe in and because I am (for what seems like the first time) able to see what I do professionally in a very sound, holistic structure.
I'll explain.
In 1996 when I made the decision to walk away from the technical consulting I had been doing for almost twenty years I had to spend the next couple of years retooling myself.
Once I had done what I thought was enough of that I began holding myself out as a strategic planner.
After awhile one of my clients asked me to help them with some leadership development, so after some more study I was able to move from sound bites and platitudes to substance - at least enough to offer something of value.
Gradually my service offerings kept evolving and expanding in response to the things my clients were asking me to do such that lately much of my time has been spent assisting clients in their push to elevate productivity and performance via their people (see Monday Morning Musings Vol.
VII, No.
46 and Vol.
VII, No.
7 among others).
Fundamentally, I understood the various things I was doing to be highly interconnected as well as relevant and faithful to my mission and values.
Still, if someone asked me to explain what I did I was always hard pressed to put it into a sentence or two.
Until now.
Maybe that's normal when you are dealing with so many intangibles and soft skills.
Nonetheless, it has been more than a little disconcerting to me to not be able to clearly and succinctly tell others what I do.
In fact, most of the time when I was on a sales call I had the very odd sense I was opening up a sample case and asking the prospect, "See anything you like?" You know, when you are my age and you've been doing the same thing for a long time but cannot easily explain to others what it is, it's not a good thing.
Fortunately for me, I've had some clients with sufficient faith in me to let me work with their organization and their people anyway.
But now that I really can see clearly what it is I do and I can put it in terms others can understand and relate to, it's a pretty exciting time in my practice.
Some of you may read this piece and think this is a commercial.
I suppose it may be to the extent I've focused a lot of copy on what I do and how I got here.
There again every weekly issue of my Monday Morning Musings is a commercial of sorts to the extent I write about the things I've learned, experienced or that I think are important.
At least one colleague described Musings as my "drip marketing.
" Yet I hope you can put that aside for the moment to focus upon a couple of significant points: 1.
You are never too old and it is never too late to learn provided you can remain open to new ideas and you are willing to hear those lessons in their context as well as sift them through the dual filters of "why?" and "why not?" 2.
Anytime you (and your people) enjoy great clarity as to both purpose and process together with a relentless commitment to that purpose, then prepare to be amazed at what you'll accomplish.
3.
I am not suggesting that you think of Michael Kami or his book, Trigger Points as your teacher.
After all, they weren't that for me when I encountered them twenty years ago.
However, at this time and place, Kami's words supplied the framework I have been searching to find for a very long time.
I guess the student was finally ready.
I also guess I could go on with this list, even mixing in a couple of Kami's points; but I trust you get my drift.
So if the teacher you need has not yet appeared for you (or if like me you missed him or her the first time around), just keep looking and growing.
That way you can be ready when the time is right.
Who knows, maybe today will be the day your teacher appears.
It is a lesson I am reminded of quite regularly and nevermore so than when I am growing in my understanding and appreciation of people, organizations and the things that make them tick.
Let me give you but the latest example.
A few weeks ago I pulled a little paperback from my bookshelves one morning.
The day before I had finished reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's 750 page Team of Rivals and I needed something else to put in its place in my early morning routine.
As I scanned the numerous titles my eyes fell on the words, "Trigger Points.
" On that basis and its manageable size (236 pages v.
750) I pulled it from the shelf.
As I scanned the first few pages I realized I had read Trigger Points by Michael J.
Kami (McGraw-Hill, 1988) twenty years ago when it first came out.
At that time I must have off-handily dismissed many of Kami's observations and recommendations given that I didn't mark many passages (the way I usually do).
Nor can I recall making much of a mental note about his thoughts on the nature and future of American business; which is, in hindsight, a shame since many of the predictions he made then have proven to be amazingly accurate.
I guess at the time I just wasn't ready to see the wisdom to be found there.
However, as I read and reread those pages in recent days and I begin filtering some two decades of additional work, study, introspection and reflection through what I found, I discovered that Kami's words are proving timeless (and timely).
At least for me.
I say that because what I read enabled me to better appreciate the principles I believe in and because I am (for what seems like the first time) able to see what I do professionally in a very sound, holistic structure.
I'll explain.
In 1996 when I made the decision to walk away from the technical consulting I had been doing for almost twenty years I had to spend the next couple of years retooling myself.
Once I had done what I thought was enough of that I began holding myself out as a strategic planner.
After awhile one of my clients asked me to help them with some leadership development, so after some more study I was able to move from sound bites and platitudes to substance - at least enough to offer something of value.
Gradually my service offerings kept evolving and expanding in response to the things my clients were asking me to do such that lately much of my time has been spent assisting clients in their push to elevate productivity and performance via their people (see Monday Morning Musings Vol.
VII, No.
46 and Vol.
VII, No.
7 among others).
Fundamentally, I understood the various things I was doing to be highly interconnected as well as relevant and faithful to my mission and values.
Still, if someone asked me to explain what I did I was always hard pressed to put it into a sentence or two.
Until now.
Maybe that's normal when you are dealing with so many intangibles and soft skills.
Nonetheless, it has been more than a little disconcerting to me to not be able to clearly and succinctly tell others what I do.
In fact, most of the time when I was on a sales call I had the very odd sense I was opening up a sample case and asking the prospect, "See anything you like?" You know, when you are my age and you've been doing the same thing for a long time but cannot easily explain to others what it is, it's not a good thing.
Fortunately for me, I've had some clients with sufficient faith in me to let me work with their organization and their people anyway.
But now that I really can see clearly what it is I do and I can put it in terms others can understand and relate to, it's a pretty exciting time in my practice.
Some of you may read this piece and think this is a commercial.
I suppose it may be to the extent I've focused a lot of copy on what I do and how I got here.
There again every weekly issue of my Monday Morning Musings is a commercial of sorts to the extent I write about the things I've learned, experienced or that I think are important.
At least one colleague described Musings as my "drip marketing.
" Yet I hope you can put that aside for the moment to focus upon a couple of significant points: 1.
You are never too old and it is never too late to learn provided you can remain open to new ideas and you are willing to hear those lessons in their context as well as sift them through the dual filters of "why?" and "why not?" 2.
Anytime you (and your people) enjoy great clarity as to both purpose and process together with a relentless commitment to that purpose, then prepare to be amazed at what you'll accomplish.
3.
I am not suggesting that you think of Michael Kami or his book, Trigger Points as your teacher.
After all, they weren't that for me when I encountered them twenty years ago.
However, at this time and place, Kami's words supplied the framework I have been searching to find for a very long time.
I guess the student was finally ready.
I also guess I could go on with this list, even mixing in a couple of Kami's points; but I trust you get my drift.
So if the teacher you need has not yet appeared for you (or if like me you missed him or her the first time around), just keep looking and growing.
That way you can be ready when the time is right.
Who knows, maybe today will be the day your teacher appears.
