Eggs cannot be flipped intact without being bold. Seriously, have you tried?
I’ve been thinking a great deal these days about what constitutes bravery and what it means to go forth boldly into home, work, and life in a thoughtful and respectful manner.
What do eggs and bravery have to do with a business-oriented website?
Well, I learned to flip eggs when my young grandson encouraged me to: “Flip ‘em, Grandma, flip ‘em!” What do you do when your grandson asks you that? Well, in my case, at least you try. My trying entailed broken yolks, cleaning burners (not so easy on a gas cooktop), and yes, cleaning half cooked eggs yolks from the floor.
Broken eggs yolks tasted just fine accompanied by high-spirited laughter and the best company in the world. Burners soaked clean, and the dog was quite pleased with the mishap on the floor. And eventually, I learned to flip eggs by tossing them boldly into the air.
My purpose in learning to flip eggs was born out of one of my core values that anything you do for a child is never wasted. Because what we do for children is so important, we continue to find ways to make progress, despite the obstacles that come in our way. It is true in my family, it is true with my friends, and it was true in my high school and post-secondary classrooms teaching business-related subjects.
Great organizations, as well, have a purpose – a reason for being – that goes beyond just being an organization, or just making a profit. Because what great organizations do is so important, they find ways to make progress in how they do things – despite the obstacles that come in their way.
Great people are the key to building great organizations. People that encourage us to boldly “flip eggs.” That laugh with us when how we did things didn’t quite hit it on the mark, but still made progress. That join together to encourage one another in moving boldly forward in taking constructive risks.
Boards, employees, clients, customers, consultants, or other stakeholders – my belief is that if we think about the big things, pay attention to the small things, and gather together around a set of common core values with respect and appreciation of the talents, skills, and experience of others around the table with us, we can move forward to accomplishing great things.