The way we are raised matters. Whether the “we” in that
sentence means you, your family or the company where you work, how we are
raised matters.
I’ve not posted to this blog since my mother died of
pancreatic cancer last fall. Just couldn’t get into it. But mom said
something to me near the end and after a couple months of thinking about it,
her words have prodded this returning note.
Mom was 91 years old, had been a
constant in my life and I somehow thought we had more time. So that weekend
when every few hours she opened her eyes to share fewer and fewer words, she
was much braver and caring than I knew at the time.
Words take on greater meaning when the person saying them is
dying and trying to sum things up for you. But while her words were unfaltering
and emphatic, they sounded too familiar to be all that profound. I don’t know
what I was expecting when she opened her eyes near the end to gather the energy to say, “God
put you on this earth for a reason, John.”
Now that some time has passed to think about it, they were
the right words. Regardless one’s faith or philosophy, having a sense of
purpose matters. Whether we move through life as individuals or collectively as
families, communities or companies, in the end, having a sense of purpose
matters.
You might not think this has much relevance in the realm of
industrial manufacturing, where the mantra of building a brand identity is so often
without meaning or measure. But if it is your path in life to be a leader of
such an organization, then it is important for you to know that the way your
company is being raised does matter and there’s not as much time as you think,
so start communicating.
Your people need to know that they and their company are special,
that collectively their company has the potential to be great and that it was put on this earth for a reason.
jb
centrifuge-now.com
