Losing It

Author : George Zach
The above title can conjure many thoughts. We've all experienced feelings that we are out of touch, our decisions are faulty, our actions are being perceived incorrectly, etc. Have you ever experienced another person questioning you or fi ring back a comment that makes you feel just plain dumb? It is an exasperating feeling, isn't it? Are we being so intolerant of others, their intelligence, or their actions, that we forget to look inside ourselves first?How sharing of a person are you? Your habits in this regard most always stem from how sharing is your partner in life, your children, or your family. Do you refuse to let another close friend use one of your possessions (no matter what it is), or do you agree to let them use it
without hesitation? I would venture to guess that most will be hesitant to let a friend or partner use something of theirs for fear it will somehow get damaged or broken. For 90% of us, this is true. We all have done this at one time or another. Some of us even have segregated our possessions into "mine" and "still mine."Why do we do this? Are we mean spirited? Are we so selfish that we cannot bear the thought of someone else enjoying one of our possessions? My goodness, have we lost it! We have lost the one characteristic that would heighten every relationship we have: our generosity—or our "love," so to speak. You cannot truly say that you "love" your neighbor, if you are
unwilling to share anything you have, without any hesitation whatsoever. In reality, we don't really OWN anything here on this earth. We are only stewards of things, charged with looking after them and keeping them in good condition; this is what goes along with stewardship responsibility. If someone borrows something, or uses something that we are in charge of, is it the end of the world? Even while if in their use, it gets consumed or broken, is that a
catastrophe? No!What is more important: a relationship with a fellow human being or an inanimate object, something that has no soul, mind, feelings, flesh or blood? How often have you heard the comment, "If you touch this or break this, I'll never forgive you"? You've probably heard it several times throughout your life, starting from when you were a small child all the way up to now as a grown adult. It is part of the rules and regulations of life that we as humans impose on ourselves and everyone around us. We become so possessive about what we have accumulated during our lives that we can't bear to think of sharing any of it, even with our spouses, children, parents, or best friends. When we get out into the business world, we
bring this baggage along with us in another way.Why do so many companies continually struggle to improve efficiencies, communications, profits and teamwork, both within their organizations and with their customers? I strongly believe it is because most people refuse to share. They are all trying to protect their little
fiefdoms, their own little bit of territory, that they have built and don't want to lose. The solution? Lose it!It is so common to find one group of workers struggling to get a job done because another group refuses to talk to them, to share with them what needs to be done or what has already been done. Rare is the situation where the information is shared openly and work passes smoothly between departments and out to the customer. How many salespeople provide all the information their in-house team needs so that the order can be processed to the exact
customer specifications? Yes, most of the information is available, but all too often, there is enough missing that jobs don't get done just right or on time. Why does information have to be extracted with so much effort? It hurts efficiency, it hurts teamwork, it hurts the company,
and sadly, it hurts the customer.The person causing all of this isn't even aware that they have caused the "mess." They are too busy protecting their jobs and their own territory. Why are some people very successful in everything they do, and others just can't seem to figure out why everyone seems to have that edge over them? Again, it is all about losing it. The successful person has lost it! They have lost the feeling that they must be protective of everything around them: their possessions, their information, their customers, their personal pride, and their ego. They
are the people who are willing to share and keep on sharing. They give more away than they get, and they never stop doing so. Because of this, people want to work with them, to see them, to talk with them and be around them. Others can immediately sense when someone
is willing to share, and things run much more smoothly.Now, of course, people like this can be taken advantage of. There are people out there that will take advantage of basically anyone. Does that make the sharing person gullible? No. The sharing person most often is also a smart, street-wise person who knows when he/she is being taken advantage of and is able to walk away before a large amount of damage is done. They get hurt occasionally, but they don't worry about the little losses because they know that they will come out on top when it comes to the big ticket items. And isn't that what we all desire in life? Now that you understand what losing it means, take an inward look and focus on being one who has "lost it."This article is authored by George Zach, a Personal Executive Business Coach. George utilizes over 35 years of executive management experience to help other executives and business owners succeed in their business and personal lives. Contact can be made through his web site http://www.carpediemcoach.com plus one can subscribe to the monthly Carpe Diem Advisor free of charge. George coaches entrepreneurs, business owners, executives--helping them set goals, plan, and actually reach their dreams. George can also be contacted directly by phone (414) 732-3406.
Keyword : teamwork, sharing, career, success, organization growth,