The Main Advantage of a Considered Response

Today I went to a facility and found an upset employee.  The employee felt that our IT Department had not been responding to their needs in a timely manner.  Basically there are two ways to respond to criticism—one way is to smile, be cordial in behavior, but do nothing; the second way is to smile, be cordial in behavior, and follow up with actions to address voiced concerns.  In the first case one resists and rejects criticism adding to the frustration already expressed (the phony smile being an added irritant); in the second case one accepts and responds to criticism demonstrating in actuality that one takes the expressed concerns seriously.  Certainly the second approach is preferable assuming one is dealing with a person who is not a chronic and irrational (essentially unstable) complainer.  In that case, further action is not called for except to go about one’s business under fire.  I’m glad to say that our department today specifically addressed the concerns expressed in several ways.  It is my experience that stressful issues when dealt with thoughtfully can paradoxically result in a stronger bond between once contending parties.  After being critical, the one broaching the issues at hand tends to expect a reflexive countervailing response—criticism met with criticism.  When the response is not countervailing; genuine surprise, appreciation, and finally trust results.  The big lesson made evident today: Profoundly Great Things (in many spheres of conflict) can happen when push out is not followed by shove back.

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Uncensored Video

Today I got to thinking, what if all our lives were recorded in an uncensored video—from the time we were born, until ongoing today.  It had recorded all our best days, and all our worst; all our acts of meanness, all our acts of kindness; when we were our most selfish, when we our most selfless; when we were hateful, when we were loving; when we were making life count, when we were frittering away hours; when we acted wisely, when we acted foolishly; when we were disciplined, when we were slothful; when we were hopeful, when we were discouraged; when we succeeded, when we failed; when we were most skilled and creative, when we were most unskilled and destructive; when we were brave, when we were cowardly; when we acted intelligently, when we acted stupidly.  The movie would show all—including sexual activity and those times when we were trying to impress others by appearing to be above all bodily functions.  When we were asleep, it would video our dreams; when we had fantasies and daydreams; it would video these.  These lifetime videos would be available for all to see and would have a fast forward that automatically passed over completely monotonous or meaningless times.  A video would be available on all persons—the pretentious and the humble, the hopeful and the discouraged; the high and the mighty, the low and downcast.  Everybody’s video would be universally available to everyone without any restrictions.  I may be wrong, but I think the existence of these videos would have a highly salutary effect on mankind.  It would reveal pretension and (on today’s TV) self-righteous political ads.  It would be everyone’s confessional--everyone’s claim to shame, everyone’s claim to merit.  It would help bring about an appreciation of our common humanity and greatly moderate pride and self-righteousness. 

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Human Accommodations

Today I had the privilege of transcending a purely business relationship and enjoying insights into the personal likes, dislikes, and insights of an employee at a recreation center.  Business relationships are well and good, but they are heavily influenced by organizational structure.  It’s good to occasionally have the opportunity to be introduced to the basic values, ideas, concerns, and family life of employees  Likewise it’s good to be able to give information about oneself—some of one’s own handicaps, experiences, and achievements.  Communication at this level indicates a mutual appreciation of the fact that we are not only employees with titles and duties, but human beings with broad areas of interests, concerns, and even vulnerabilities.  When I was on vacation last week, Jim, my brother-in-law, said that the trouble with America now is that people engage in pro forma communication and do not get beyond the shallow and superficial.  Certainly it is depressing and impoverishing to always deal at the surface level when the central fact of human nature is the existence of a full array of intellectual, spiritual, and emotional dimensions.  Thriving organizations accommodate within their structures the renaissance proclivities of mankind.

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Enjoying the Best

Carole will be returning to Chicago tomorrow, so this evening she treated Kathy & me to dinner at Olive Garden Italian Restaurant in Pinellas Park.  The food and service were second to none.  In addition to salad or soup served with fresh baked bread, we had the following entrées: Carole ordered Lasagna Classico, Kathy ordered Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and I ordered Venetian Apricot Chicken—grilled chicken breasts in an apricot citrus sauce, served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes.  After dinner, sipping on peach ice tea, I mused that even kings and queens in the past did not have a higher quality meal (prepared from produce and meats kept fresh when necessary by refrigeration) and served in an air conditioned environment.  Too often I neglect to appreciate the advantages that modern society provides.  Surely our heavenly father is justified in expecting a lot from us.  “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48 (NIV)).  My we remember that while it’s nice to be served, it is a greater gift to be given opportunities to serve. 

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Permanence

I think a basic human need must be

To savor the likeness of permanence

Whether it’s to the sea we return

Or to the mountains tall and firm

Whether to buildings of marble and stone

Or to a childhood grasp for mom and dad

Whether to the leader that gives a sense of solidity

Or to an institution that gives a sense of immortality

Whether to a principle that emerges from flux

Or to a universal law that grounds diversity

Whether to the love of God that is eternal

Or to shortcut simulations found in addictions

It can be a sad pursuit

This looking for permanence

This looking for a rock on which to build

To place our hope

To place our trust

Through countless generations

The search endures

Uniting simplicity to eternity

Where is the likeness of permanence?

Finally perhaps in the abiding search

That marries choice to basic need.

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Timeless Retreat

Sunday Kathy, Carole, and I traveled to Lake Wales, FL to see Bok Tower Gardens.  This was their first visit, but a return of several visits for me.  When I was a teen living in Bowling Green, FL our church youth group on several occasions and my parents and I on others visited the tower.  In the 90’s I took Kim, George, and Alton to see the tower.  It is a surprising site when approaching Lake Wales to see the tower suddenly rising from Iron Mountain (one of the highest points in Florida). The Tower is made of pink and gray marble and coquina stone.  It is one of those places that when you visit the grounds you remember it as a haven of unchanging peace, beauty, and tranquility. Edward Bok’s quotation is included in the photo above.

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Interstate Space

Today Kathy & I traveled to Oviedo near Orlando and returned to Saint Petersburg with Carole, Kathy’s mother.  If there is any engineering marvel I typically take for granted it is the interstate system.  Earlier in the week Kathy & I returned to Saint Petersburg from Palm Coast in northeast Florida, driving on interstates virtually the entire distance.  The network of limited access roads, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, and divided highway all without a single traffic light or dangerous curve is a great gift that has no doubt saved the lives of many travelers.  This afternoon I was getting a little dozy coming back from Oviedo (after a foot long sub) and found a convenient interstate rest stop, got an energy drink, and was alert the rest of the way home.  I remember the days of my childhood, when a trip for the entire distance was nearly always two lane roads with oncoming traffic.  Passing slower traffic (cars, trucks, tractors, or an occasional horse drawn wagon), or being passed by faster traffic was a continuing source of anxiety.  The roads led through the heart of cities with many traffic lights and congestion.  When I consider the engineering feats accomplished during my lifetime, the interstate system has to rank among the top achievements.

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