Watching, Always Watching

One fine day, a while back, I picked my six year old daughter from elementary school. She had no
sooner settled down into the passenger's seat, while buckling her seat belt, she looked at me and said; "You got a new key." In fact, I did have new key, but what made her observation so profound is that it was not an especially unique key. The new key looked just like most of the other keys on my keychain, of which there were at least eight.

The impact of my daughter's observation and calling-out of a very small detail had a lasting impact upon me. She noticed the really small things suggesting that she was all over the not-so-small things that I was doing. She was watching everything I did and I don't think she was especially unique in her behavior. Based upon that one event, my logical assumption was that other people I was around were also watching-EVERYTHING.

The hustle and bustle of life or conversely the doldrums of life can cause us to be so involved or uninvolved, to the extent, that we do not notice others observing and based upon their observations making judgements about us or learning from us. If we are busy and accomplishing things with a great attitude those around us will likely learn that they too can do the same. If we are slacking in our efforts and we have a bad attitude those watching us may feel that since we are behaving badly, without consequence, they too can behave badly without consequence. The behaviors, good and bad, may not be addressed by the folks we are working with, but they will have an impact on us internally, even though the impact may not be readily apparent. When you are engaged in doing good things, and doing them very well, there is something inside you that grows. When you don't do things well, the growth stops or retracts. Someone is always watching you, even if that someone is you.

The Most Important Opportunity

An astronomical water bill took me to city hall to inquire. The charge, for two consecutive months was off the chart. There is, of course, a window between me and the city employee and apparently that gives them a license to assume that I and practically everyone else that comes to the window, is well below average intelligence. Without the window as a barrier, they might need to prove that they care and respect the customers by, let's say, acting like we actually mattered and that we just might have a brain. The discussion of the huge charge for water lead to a rather lengthy and confusing explanation of the process of charging based on averages, etc. The lasting impression is that they really don't care because they don't have to. Where else can I go to get my water? They are not held accountable for treating the window-visitors as if: They represent the Most Important Opportunity. Because of the distressing issue I was having, the city employee could have started the monotonous detailed (I have done this a thousand times) explanation with; "I am sorry you are having a problem, let me see if I can help." But Noooooooooooooo. I got the standard "throw-up" and get away from the window as quickly as you can demeanor.

Whenever you are engaging with anyone in business you are given the opportunity to treat the individual(s) as: The Most Important Opportunity. Every individual thinks that their problem or situation is much more important that almost anything you have going on and they expect you to behave accordingly. They represent a chance for you to grow by taking ownership, learning what they need and then do what you can. The Most Important Opportunity of the day is often the one standing before you at any given time.