After celebrating my 25th birthday the other week I’m in a reflective mood.
This is what I’ve been thinking about.
In large corporations there is a lot of false bravado, mock arrogance and plenty of real arrogance thrown in too.
People try to convince each other how busy and important they are. The amount of times I’ve seen people run into each other in lifts or corridors and one of the first questions that gets asked is ‘how’s the job – busy?’ and I’ve never heard anyone say ‘Actually – not really’.
Some people hold a dysfunctional perception that being an asshole will serve them well and will get them what they want. That being arrogant will get their voice heard as they bully people into submission.
But it is entirely possible to have strong opinions and be confident in the way we get things done without being rude to each other.
I don’t like working with arrogant people.
I certainly don’t want to be one, especially at the age of 28.
I’m learning that showing humility and compassion for others goes a long way. Much further than being arrogant and uncaring. So I’m going to share some personal thoughts and feelings with you today.
I love writing this blog.
It’s new and exciting and I’m learning a lot.
It’s very much a journey for me. Trying to find the right tone, length of post, and most importantly the balance of serious points, swear words and fart jokes can be tricky.
So I just do it.
I procrastinated a lot at first. I was ‘working on a blog’ for a couple of months before I plucked up the courage to actually 1. publish it and 2. tell anyone about it. (There was at least a 2 week gap between those 2 events! What a wuss!)
But now it’s out there and I’m lucky (and humbled) that I have you as readers. So I want to put my cards on the table.
I know that I am no expert and have no right to ‘tell’ people what to do.
I know I can be a show-off (and if I forget my wife soon reminds me).
I certainly slip into dysfunctional ways of communicating and behaving at work all the time, but I still have opinions that I feel I want / need to express. Everyone is entitled to that and I’m not going to apologize for it.
I’m just sharing things I’ve noticed over the years. You can take it or leave it, I’m not forcing this on anyone. You have a choice to remain a subscriber or not.
Don’t get me wrong – I want you to stay, but not out of a feeling of loyalty, but rather because you enjoy reading and get something from this blog.
I love the thought of putting a smile on someones face once a week, and planting seeds about things we do and say at work that are stupid. It’s so important to be able to laugh at ourselves.
But I do not think that I know best.
I do not think that you must do what I say.
Ultimately I write this blog for me.
I’m keen to improve my 32 year old self. To be a better, more compassionate person and a professional, diligent colleague, so this blog is like my personal checklist of things to remember to do or not to do, based on my own experiences and emotions that events trigger in me.
By writing it down and sharing these with you each week I have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
Like I’ve mentioned before, behaviour is organic, and it all starts with one person.
I don’t have the arrogance to think that I can change other people’s behaviour, but I have the confidence that I can change my own. 1 blog post at a time.
Even at the age of 35.
OK, 38.