Sometimes I forget. Not too long mind you. My son is in Afghanistan. You do not have to agree or disagree with the conflict to embrace the fact that your child is in harm’s way. Maybe a simple belief lies in a countries support to something meaningful so far away and that is enough. I would rather my son was home with his wife. I have my flag up and the blue star in my window and I want my child home.
Now this may be a huge stretch…especially since my preceding blogs are linked to management or some leadership nugget. Have you ever realized you were involved in something bigger than yourself? Retail is retail. In spite of what it is and its relative importance with which I deal, it is only retail. It is the selling of stuff. In my case, it is teaching a group of people the power and skills in getting things done through others to achieve a goal or objective. It is not foot patrol in a foreign land with the possibility of an IED. And yet it is the dependence of three or five or seven people to have your back in a work environment. You don’t hit your goal and you may not make a hundred bucks. In the military, falling short can have bigger repercussions.
In this moment of missing my son, maybe all I am saying or suggesting is that there is worth in what you do. Maybe this is not what you want to do ten years from now. Maybe this is mundane and boring and not even kinda challenging. Right now, whether you like it – it does matter. It matters to those around you. It matters to a couple of people who pay the salary. You don’t have to like the job or those that decide it, it is still the job. Am I being harsh? It sounds like I am subjugating you and my son to some type of servitude. I cannot change these realities. He is a Marine. I am proud of that. He is doing a job. You are where you are and there is nothing that can be done in this exact moment – you are still where you are. And someone is proud of you. Managers get a bad rap sometimes. They are labeled many times as some trumped-up glorified sales person with a title. You are so much more than that. Does your job suck, maybe? Do you feel like something else is right around the corner, maybe? Does the pay blow, maybe? Your job still matters and so do you.
Ultimately, this is a feel-good piece. Some attempt at looking at management while dealing with my yearnings for a son’s safe return. We all have a job to do. We have those who depend upon it and rely on our decisions. We share blood, sweat and tears to accomplish a goal. Some of us use a laptop, some a selling floor and some carry an M-16 or M-4. Some of us lose far greater than a sale. So maybe knowing this will make us work a little harder today. I am proud of my son. I am proud of all the sons and daughters who wake up and walk forward. I hope you know you all matter. Thank you for allowing a father’s indulgence.
Cheers