Oct 01 A Fresh Perspective

There is a joke about a Cub Scout being asked what three things he would need if he had to survive in a desert. The boy responded that he’d want a canteen full of water, a compass and a deck of cards. When asked the importance of the cards, he responded, “As soon as I start playing Solitaire, someone is going to come up behind me and say, ‘Put the red nine on the black ten,’ and I can follow them out of the desert.”

There is a lot of free advice available. There is a lot of unsolicited advice available. Sometimes it is difficult to discern how good the advice is. I tend to disregard unsolicited advice unless it comes from someone I trust and who dispenses the advice sparingly.

Besides my parents, I have had a few mentors in my life.

When I met Bob Skelton, he was the business manager for the Georgia State University Alumni Association, and I had been hired in the Information Resources department. Bob had worked at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and found employment at Georgia State due to cuts at Mercer. We actually met at the cafeteria. I was living in Marietta at the time and would get to school early to beat the Atlanta traffic. Bob lived in Alpharetta and would take MARTA – the rail system – to work. I recognized him from the Alumni Association, and he recognized me. We would meet for breakfast and discuss everything – school, home, current events, sports, dining, and anything else we could think of. We had a similar since of humor. Bob was later promoted to the head of Internal Auditing at Georgia State. Bob always had time for me, and he would introduce me to his friends. Usually he would call me “The Whippersnapper.” Bob’s advice would always be in a positive way. “You’ve tried it one way, now try it this way to see if it fits.” He wasn’t about his way being the correct way. When I first heard that minds are like parachutes and work best when they are open, I thought about Bob. He taught me a lot about business from another perspective, and I appreciate having my horizons broadened to see another side.

I don’t mind asking for advice. I seek it out from those who I wish to emulate. I have learned a lot by (a.) asking and (b.) listening. The second part is most important. I may not necessarily agree with the advice that I am getting, but I’ve asked for it. And, as Bob recommended, I try it to see if it fits. Many times I realize that my stubbornness has kept me from realizing what would seem to be obvious.

I have people that I count on to be a financial advisor, a health advisor, a spiritual advisor, a business advisor and a marketing advisor, to name a few. I respect those who give me the courtesy of listening to my request and then thoughtfully replying with an answer that I asked for and with additional information that they heard me asking by “reading between the lines.” That is the practice and the kind of advice that I hope I am giving when asked.

It’s good to have a fresh perspective. It is a renewal. And, it is rewarding.