The Pull Toward Commitment

In opening this look at how stability can start feeling like a cage, I shared how I got involved in every aspect of that construction company I possibly could and how that helped me offset some of the monotonous drudge I felt from all the compliance related tasks in my primary role. Much of that involvement allowed me to connect with a fulfilling purpose, but there was one part that wore me out over time. It wasn’t that I had bitten off more than I could chew - at that point I was logging 50 or so hours each week in that role and nearly as much in our business; it was the growing tension of sitting in a room for big chunks of time each quarter with the guru facilitating the continuous improvement efforts graces us with his presence and seeing nothing tangible to show for it.

I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed and I know there are plenty of times where I would get a ton of value from putting a bit more thought into things before springing directly into action. This was not that! After more than a year of those sessions, I was convinced that Jesus would come back before anything that fellow suggested in those meetings would result in a tangible return on investment. Me being me, I frequently asked for examples of how he had helped other clients implement some of the more general things he had clearly read in a book on flight into town. His responses helped the stereotypical polyester suited car salesman in him shine through. Whatever, I wasn’t the one paying his bill so I tolerated it for the most part. I do recall one particular session where I challenged him to identify the ROI he had seen us achieve as a result of something he brought to the table. He didn’t. But he responded sharply by saying “If you can’t identify a 10x ROI from what we’ve done, you should renew my contract next year.” I had struck a nerve, and I heard myself say, “I wouldn’t let you back in the building tomorrow,” and the room fell silent - except for one stoic long-term team member who folded his arms, leaned back in his chair, and simply said, “Yep.”

I stopped sitting in on those meetings, but that was a clear sign of just how much my tension was growing; not because I didn’t like my job or anyone I worked with, but because I felt stagnant. I remained engaged with everything else I had jumped into. In complete transparency, I don’t think anyone noticed that I stopped sitting in on the quarterly continuous improvement meetings - or maybe it just made them go more smoothly? Either way, they didn’t need me to help not take action. They were doing a fine job of talking about what could be on their own.

From the time I accepted the HR/Safety Manager position, I had been involved in all the hiring. One of the tools I had experience with in manufacturing was a behavior-based interviewing tool; I had even completed a certification with the company that licensed it. I had shared the concept with the owners and my peers on the management team at least a few times but never got much reaction. I remember where I sat when I read the email from the owner telling me that I should talk with the continuous improvement consultant and learn more about the behavior-based hiring approach he thought we should implement. I had little respect remaining for that greasy used car salesman when he stayed in his own lane, and that left when he felt compelled to stick his nose into mine.

I had practiced the habit of doing more than I was paid for every day for nearly two years at that point. I’m not bragging about that; it’s what I promised the owner I would do when I accepted the position. And I never had a single complaint about the salaried, albeit well below market rate for all I was juggling; I agreed to that as well. Being brushed off, intentional or not, when I shared the behavior-based interviewing concept was one thing. Having it completely ignored when I shared it, then being told to learn about it from some schmuck who struggled to hit his ass with either hand on anything else he ever talked about was more than I could stomach.

That led to yet another definite decision, one that would lead to more uncertainty than we had ever experienced. Uncertainty tests definiteness of decision; doing more than required in the present builds confidence for the leap. We’ll work through that next. Before we do, think about a current pattern where your focus may be pulling you in different directions. What’s one step you need to take toward better alignment, and how will you base that step on your core values?