Skip to main content

Areas to change


My first of (hopefully) many posts. If nothing else, I'm quite proud of the name. Just a small "pat on me back".  This week's entry won't have much substantive information regarding the course material, but it will have some thoughts regarding my current job situation and how this class will apply. 

I have always been inspired by entrepreneurs in many ways. They seem to have so much courage, and exhausting, seemingly endless tank of energy focused on success, ideas upon ideas, and a focus that puts almost every co-worker I've had to shame. 

I enjoy so many aspects of business, but taking business as a whole, I have so little energy to focus on some of the more tedious and time-consuming aspects of business. These, in my mind, are areas such as accounting, rules and regulations, and industry compliance. In light of recent events, including the ever-changing business -environment caused by Covid-19, I feel I should make more efforts in these areas.

My primary reason is I feel that by doing this, at any given moment, were I to take a “Snapshot” of a business, I would have a better understanding overall of the current situation, and better be able to navigate any decisions regarding any changes and/or pivots we should consider. I have been involved in many decisions of this nature and those involved who had invested more time and energy in those areas I find tedious and frustrating had great input and gave some great perspective.

Looking forward, I have a few job opportunities that I will be exploring (in the next 3 months). I’ve considered all the experience and knowledge I’ve gained in my 13 years working for my current employer, I struggle to piece together the lessons I’ve learned and I find myself thinking much more of the challenges I have and the areas where I lack.

In doing so I feel the area where I could most improve is giving more attention to aspects of business, I find tedious that I mention above. As I continue with this course, I hope this theme of my efforts to work on this area will be a running theme and I will learn from my notes here.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Finishers Wanted" My wife says I have "Executive Function Disorder". If I'm being honest, that sounds like it could well be a real thing, but I have not looked it up. I think, maybe, because I fear I'll read the description discover it accurately describes me and a weakness I have. Nonetheless, I do often fail to finish. I often get things about 90% done, but I lost steam, or interest. But at the root of it, I think maybe it's a fear of failure. If I don't finish, then it's self fulfilling prophecy and it's easier to write it off as a failure, than to do my best and still fail. I do, however, make conscious efforts to follow through with projects and activities where I have commited. I struggle with organization and with follow through when I have a lot on my plate. I bring this up because part of my life plan is focusing on becoming more organized. I have identified that this area does not come naturally to me. When I am in a position wh...
When I look at this week's lesson I am reminded of spiritual gifts. I know the scriptures don't specifically outline "to one is given the ability to create and develop functional, long term business relationships" but there are personalities that inherently lend themselves to just this. But just as the parable of the talents, they must be developed and fostered. Not only does this take effort, but more importantly I think is the awareness to know what you are capable of and incapable of. Finding those to work with you that fill your voids, that complement your weaknesses, and that help push you in the right direction, is key to maintaining and fostering these relationships. I don't think it's a coincedence that we all have to depend on at least someone in this life. We need to have good people on our side, in our corner, offering advice, providing support in ways only they can, in order for our external efforts in business, networking, and finding and creatin...
Perseverance. Only 5 days after being hired as a salesman I was called to a very large commercial bakery and I sat in the entry for almost 20 waiting to meet the buyer. On the wall were various frames with their company motto and vision. They also had the persistence quote from Calvin Coolidge in a large frame. I remember loving it so much I took a picture with my Motorola Q smart phone that took horrible pictures. The next day I realized that same quote was on the wall of the office of our VP of sales.  As I was new into the professional world, particularly in sales, I didn't realize how much impact that quote would have on me as I continued in my career. I remember thinking back then what President Faust said in his talk entitled "Perseverance" - "What will be my place in this world, and how will I find it?".  Fast forward 13 years and I have had and seen seemingly countless experiences where persistence and perseverance, or lack of thereof, have be...