Have you ever been in a situation where someone tells you that “you cannot see the forest for the tree?” I have a few times and they were right. Some situations at work have totally absorbed all of my time, effort and energy to try to come up with a solution to either resolve a problem or to increase business that I have totally lost sight of what of what I was trying to accomplish.
It is almost like I am digging a tunnel to get into to something and at the same time I am throwing dirt on myself. The dirt gets in my eyes and I can no longer see clearly.
It is at times like this that I find it good to have a mentor or coach step in to help me out. Martin Webster recently wrote an article on coaching and mentoring that you should check out.
A coach or mentor really can help you out when you have sort of lost your way. They direct you back on the path and help with clarity of your goal or vision.
I have found tremendous help in seeking out this type of help, my mentors have be helpful in more ways than I can count. Many times the problems of being a manager or supervisor can be very frustrating and the answers not quite as clear as we would like (such as writing on the wall).
I have met managers that feel that they must always come up with the answer and never seek help or advice, that by doing so they are admitting that they cannot fulfill their position.
I feel a bit differently, I appreciate input from those I respect and have a proven track record. I know that I do not have all of the answers and looking to someone else may give me the information or confirmation that I need.
Below are some interesting facts about buzzards, bats and bees. I myself am all for looking up and seeking advice.
The Buzzard, The Bat, and the Bumblebee
If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A Bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is right there above them. ~ author unknown
Seek for the answer, look for a good mentor or coach
08/06/14
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