A few weeks ago we talked about the “major league mentoring” Gloria James provided her son. While this story got a lot of comment, less famous moms are providing great advice to leaders all the time.
Gerry was trying to make a very difficult career decision. It was a common question of balancing career and work with family and health. In reality, the answer to the question is so simple. Family and health need to be in line or your career and work performance will never be maximized. Unfortunately, it is often hard to see the obvious and we need someone to help.
In Gerry’s case there were young boys and a wife all in need of his assistance. Once Gerry came to what I’ll call the obvious decision, I asked him what helped him come to the right conclusion. He said he sought the coaching and advice of many people he trusted, but the thoughts from his mother weighed heavily. Gerry’s said his mom only asked him, “What do you think I would have done when you were 12 years old and needed my help?” From that point forward, Gerry focused on the critical issues and is back to his career in a much more balanced manner.
Do you have that person you can depend on for honest guidance? Do you take the trust others give you to provide guidance as seriously as you should?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
12 year old priority
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There will come a time for many of us who will require honest guidance with respect to caring for our elderly parents. Very often they will not be functinally capable to make the right decisions for their safe care, treatment or decisions as to how best to honor their wishes in preserving the family assets which they accumulated through hard work over thier lifetime. And, because there are complicated laws and government tax regulations which impact these decisions, we must rely on experts we don't know to guide us in the decision-making process. The key is to recognize when you need to consult with others and then take their advice once given. This is true whether the situation pertains to the family or career issues in industry. No-one can expect to possess all the necessary knowledge to make complicated decisions in a vacuum but need a broader perspective by obtaining inputs from others.
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