Archive for February, 2009
To Fire Yourself
Recently, I have had the privilege of transitioning our Sales team into three categories. when we were done the transition I realized a simple reality: There needs to be a new category for OVC to grow…
One Village Coffee has grown organically and it has always had an experimental factor to our development, but with out the team this would not be possible. The relationships and partnerships we develop along the way are the key factors to growth and sustainability. When looking at our relationships and our team it was clear certain people belonged in specific positions and I had to get out of the way. Any one on our team would tell you this is not an easy task for me to accomplish. I might have a bit of OCD or mania that provides my neurotic nature with just enough fuel to keep me “hands” on. However, any expert in the face of growth would tell you, “if someone can do it better than you than have them do the job.”
What was left providing me with a high level of anxiety, because without stuff to do, I needed to find new oppertunities to build relationships in the coffee culture. The part left was the area most enter in first: Coffee Shops. Most people get into this business because of their passion for the brew, I entered this world becasue of my passion to create community and possibilities for new catagories of business. Ways to build equity, while solving social issues like poverty in small villeges around the world.
I believe in the power of groups of individuals and organizations working together to raise value in the exchange of goods and services while providing tools necessary for economic growth of human capital in overlooked and under resourced community’s like what I experience in Nigeria.
Long story short, I have contemplated firing myself for the past several months for the sake of the growth of OVC’s Mission. Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who is the President of a local insurance company in my town. He is in his early 30′s and has a lot of wisdom, his answer was simple after I asked him what he thought: “I do not think firing yourself is in the job description”.
Since then I have come to believe I have personal weaknesses in the area of competition, this was found out after a recent Volleyball match in my junior high gymnasium. I looked at pictures of my fellow classmates from over 15 years ago. In that moment, it seemed evident: I am one of those guys who has been given a lot and when my whole person is on the line. I tend to give up.
This is not the time to give up…
Leadership is a Choice
I was told, “you are a natural leader” when I was younger. I now believe we all lead, some of us lead well.
I have lead best out of areas of strength, not weakness. Lately, I have lead out of weakness, this looks like leading out of fear for me.
Leadership has become a four letter word in most circles. This is unfortunate, because it really is needed in society. The fact is most people in leadership like power, and the best leaders use power to effect positive change and bad leaders use power to make their situation better.
Overwhelmed and underpaid
The other night I was thinking about how much money my wife and I used to make when we lived in TX. I had a job as a Youth Pastor and Andrea worked in HR at a large company. We have consistently made less money every year after we moved back from TX.
I can see looking back how we have made our life hard finatially. I used to believe that to be in God’s will you had to suffer. This lead me to a martyr world view that produced suffering. There is enough pain in the world, it does not need me to create more.
I now believe we make choices, based on our values. Over the past several years I have made it clear that I do not value financial security. I no longer feel this way. I can now relate to most Americans.
Can I get a re-write?
There is enough beauty in the world to be happy,
There is enough pain in the world not to be sad.
Discovering ones self and finding joy in the moment is my true quest.
I have lived most of my life with a “win/loose” philosophy. There is something about this way of thinking I do not like. Lately, I have been entrenched in a kind of war like mentality, which seems ironic for a 29 year old man who was raised pacifist, with strong Mennonite history. Either way, I have decided my world view is not enjoyable.
Who wants to go through life like people are out to kill them? Who wants to wake up in the morning to a shot gun start of win or loose? I do not.
The time has come to re-write my script, the internal monolauge which goes on most of the day.
