Thursday, October 25, 2007

Hard Core

We have a lot of nicknames and titles these days.
Hard Core, Type A, Passionate, Get it done
On the opposite side, is
Compassionate, High emotional quotient(EQ), considerate, caring.

I recognize and agree that approaches and process are important and I am a posterchild for relationships as the keys to successful delivery. I know that people are required to accomplish much of anything, and that the cold, hard, metrics and objectives are not really the end goal. Ultimately, my take is that not all people really care so much about their committments. For them, it is okay to just not get it done, or not hit their target... "they didn't really agree with that in the first place" is a common response.

As a senior manager, my response is almost always, "why the heck didn't you say something before we committed resources and time based on something you didn't think would get done."
I place great value in the people that I trust, and the ones that consistently miss their mark, become less and less valued over time on all fronts.

The "correct" statement is that we need to find a way to develop them, and move them ahead. I think it takes courage to tell another priceless human being that they are not getting the job done. I care that they have failed. There are consequences for decisions at every age, but I cannot make their decisions for them. I am willing to let you know that you disappointed me, and I expect you to do me the same courtesy. If I don't accept and embrace my failures right alongside my successes, I cannot grow and improve. I don't think this makes me "hard core".

Free will and democracy have this soft underbelly to them. We are only as strong as our committments, our honor, our friends, and our faith.

God moves in his world through concurrent diversity, everyone working at their own job, in their personal role, but achieving a "master plan".

The outcome is not known, the approach matters. Coddling one another is not okay. Judging one another is not okay. What a mess, I am sure glad that I don't have to figure all of this out.

Jeremiah 18 1-10 (The Message)
God told Jeremiah, "Up on your feet! Go to the potter's house. When you get there, I'll tell you what I have to say." 3 -4So I went to the potter's house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. Then God's Message came to me: "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" God's Decree! "Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel. At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. But if they repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with them. At another time I might decide to plant a people or country, but if they don't cooperate and won't listen to me, I will think again and give up on the plans I had for them.

Psalm 2 (The Message)
Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers:
"Let's get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!"
Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he's amused at their presumption;
Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up:
"Don't you know there's a King in Zion? A coronation banquet
Is spread for him on the holy summit."

Let me tell you what God said next.
He said, "You're my son, And today is your birthday.
What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize?
You can command them all to dance for you, Or throw them out with tomorrow's trash."

So, rebel-kings, use your heads;
Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: Worship God in adoring embrace,
Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know;
His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God—you won't regret it!

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