Blogging Ottinger (tim)Four things I should have known much sooner
Things I wish I had known before I started in the business:
1 People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
2 It is better to make an improvement than an impact.
3 To be successful, pick something people need to do and get really good at it.
4 When the bus comes, the people waiting for the bus are the people who get on the bus
The first applies everywhere, in business or ministry or whatever. Employees could learn to care about their subordinates, superiors, and organization. Somehow it’s easy to forget that when you’re working.
The second is particularly good for managers and ministry workers and consultants. The last thing people really need is for you to remake their world in your image. They’ll remember the big impact, but they’ll appreciate the improvements more.
The third I got (perhaps a quote from someone else) from an ex-coworker (Hi Jeff). I think it makes a ton of sense all on its own.
The last I learned the old-fashioned way. When new trends emerge, those who are ready for them are picked up and carried along. Those who have ignored them are left behind. Too many people are left behind because they didn’t prepare for the next bus, or because they prepared for the wrong bus. It seems that being ready for a number of different things is a really good policy. I haven’t always kept up, and I could have lost out in some big ways. It’s a good reminder.
