How can we bring maturity to the way we manage ?
Maturity, the ability to respond to our challenges at the right time, in the right place, and in the appropriate manner, becomes increasingly important as we find more success. It is very easy to fall into the trap of becoming complacent in the way we do things or stuck at the level in the which we do them. Consider the question “How can we bring maturity to the way we manage”. Exploring it can lead to personal discoveries and insights that unlock the doors of opportunity at the next level.
A couple of weeks ago, I started playing the game candy crush. Naturally, I wanted to dominate it. The first couple of times I played, I needed to learn how the pieces worked, what they did, and so on. After some initial success, I had understood that there were special pieces in the game, and the more I had of them, the higher my score would be. (Note – when I mention I want to dominate it, I mean passing the levels with the highest score at every level…I have competitive issues I am working through)
The game became very boring very quickly. The way to beat the levels had become too simple and too much depended on luck, rather than skill, so I became disengaged a bit. Just as I was going to look for something else to do while hiding from the arguments between my daughters and my wife, I reached a level that introduced an element that made the game more strategic (for those of you who play, its where chocolate is introduced). This new element actively worked against me from beating the level, an adversary of sorts. Suddenly the game required a strategy to address the threats , while pursuing the goal of beating the level with a high score. I could no longer play the game with the same old strategy I had previously been successful with. I needed to take the time to understand the challenge of the level without losing sight of what successful completion of it looked like. The better I understood my obstacles, the easier it would be to overcome them. I needed to step back and ask myself “What used to work, but no longer does”. I needed to evolve my strategy. I needed to mature in the way I managed the board.
This is much like the preparations we have been involved in over the last 18 months – developing the roles and responsibilities of the players on the team, evolving the processes that used to work but no longer do, and protecting what the company stands for. Learning to be mature requires mutual respect. There have been significant decisions made to prepare our entrance into the next level. Though there have been tears shed, frustration levels taken to the brink, and bouts with self and leadership doubts, we have endured and are well on our way to building the best company in the industry. It takes a lot of skill and effort. You all have both.
