When You See the Train Coming...

28 februari 2018

'I knew that the meeting was going to be a disaster', my client said.
'So what did you do?', I asked.
His stunned silence was telling me he had done nothing to prevent the disaster.
'It wasn't my meeting', he added after a while.

This kind, well-meaning, smart professional had correctly predicted that he and a bunch of his colleagues were about to have a meeting that would be a disaster. They would talk about a vague yet sensitive topic, with no clear agenda. An there would be a number of people around the table who would most likely either end up fighting or saying nothing at all.

And he did - nothing. Just like his colleagues. Everyone knew how it would be, nobody did anything - nobody felt it was their responsibility. And so everybody willingly sacrificed two hours of their valuable time in an uncomfortable meeting, with no real results - other than collective frustration.

When you see the train coming - and you're standing in the middle of the tracks.

I've been there, we've all been there. We are all so busy doing those things that are our responsibility, that we don't want to take on any more. We don't have the time or the energy.

But what if we did? What if, next time, 'you see the train coming', you do get off the tracks and something about it?

Do you rather sit and wait for the train to crash? Or do you prefer clearing the tracks? Take ownership to make things better?

There's always something you can do to make things better. Do it. Do it now.

Don't wait for someone else to do it for you. Putting yourself in the drivers' seat gives you positive energy. And that can be contagious.

It's a choice. Every time.

#ownership #dailychoice #coreprinciples #thetrainiscoming