(Image by Radfotosonn from Pixabay)
“Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets”.
(Luke 6:26)
My Walk into the Future in 2020 was an interesting journey!
I am sure everyone who just read that last sentence can highlight how 2020 was a unique year to remember—good or bad. We all had to adjust in 2020 due to COVID-19 and these adjustments impacted our daily lives.
One area I needed to adjust was how I lead an organization with COVID-19 work protocols–working from home, virtual meetings and having staff with preexisting conditions. None of these things were on our radar when 2020 started but quickly became necessary talking points in early March 2020 for most of us.
My gravitation to the Luke 6:26 verse came about because even when I am doing great work, I continue to look for an angle to motivate myself to do more. I am not a person to rest on my laurels but look for ways to motivate myself and team to do more. Luke 6:26 stands out to me today because I am happy to report not all men speak well of me on my current Walk into the Future.
I do not make that claim lightly but have found a level of motivation, enjoyment, and humor in this fact. Turns out the people who do not speak well of me are the people who are slackers in their daily work endeavors. It is obvious I take a lot of pride in getting positive things done, correctly and on-time. I have discovered people who do not take pride in their work, who are satisfied with the status quo or who are plain lazy are not fans of people like me.
I enter new organizations with the mission to make a difference daily—amazingly simple concept but one I do not take lightly. I have discovered in my new work environment there WERE several people who were not held accountable for their daily actions. You cannot make a difference daily without being accountable, so these people hear from me they are not meeting my expectations.
Please note, these folks work or worked in multiple departments, so it was not isolated to just one area.
“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes the wicked incur abuse.”
(Proverbs 9:7)
A funny thing happened when I identified we all need to be accountable in the work environment. Some did not speak well of me! Not saying that to be nonchalant or play it down but I heard someone say they could not thrive in a work environment with expectations. True statement!
I wish I were making this up, but it is true. Imagine being in a work environment and a staff member has an issue with being accountable to the team and overall mission. I have been on this professional journey for 30+ years now and find this a terribly sad state of mind for anyone.
Turns out the previous leadership did not value accountability as much as they should have. It is amazing how much energy is needed within an organization to correct these type thoughts and actions. There have been times new leadership has been questioned but The Energy Bus continues to move forward. Great things are happening and staff who did not have a voice are now able to fully contribute. The new energy is contagious!
I hope there are other folks who do not speak well of me! My work speaks for itself. I was promoted to Administrative Director of Advising and Career Services on July 1, 2021. Must be doing something right, huh? 😊
We will continue to Walk into the Future and do great things! Irie!
Believe Shakespeare perfectly sums up this episode below!
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown”.
(Shakespeare)
Walk Into the Future 