My dad had a line he liked to use on me when I was young and before a time when I realised that some (most?) pearls of wisdom did not originate with him.
You can please some of the people all of the time.
You can please all of the peolpe some of the time.
You can not please all of the people all of the time.
The correct attribution it turns out was not my father after all but the poet John Lydgate.
My version of this, despite being a hardened coffee drinker, is that we can't be everyone's cup of tea.
I am not everyone's cup of tea. My tea is:
Energetic - I run marathons for fun. I don't think i can humblebrag any harder than that.
Data driven - I love a spreadsheet. I always find that data tells a story and its a story that can't be manipulated easily so its also true. If you can't read the story there is a problem in your tool or process and you need to work backwards to fix it at its root.
Time efficient - I am that person that wraps up meetings early and calls out when we've gone over the same ground already.
Strategic - I am a typical Myers-Briggs INTP so I think about the big picture by default and how things are interconnected.
Empathetic - I am, once you get past a robust sense of humour, a good and supportive colleague but also I'm sensitive to delicate employee issues and have worked on transformation projects that have affected peoples lives and careers. As a result of this softer side of myself, i'm currently working on completing my Masters Degree equivilant ILM7 qualification in Executive Coaching and Mentoring
My tea is not:
Being a yes person - I don't always agree with whats being said or what i'm told to do if I dont understand or agree with the why.
Watching the world go by - I don't work on the edges of a bigger problem when the bigger problem isnt being addressed.
Working in silo's - I don't want to work with people who I don't communicate openly with.
Enjoying my work - I don't want to regret showing up and making my work fun as well as useful
You don't need to take my word for it either. Colleagues have shared their views on me publicly also:
Patrick. Your ability to “turn on a dime” has been one of your strongest traits! Your are a solution finder, motivator, mentor, advocate and counsellor. I have thought back fondly on our time working together and can totally say you had a positive impact on my own career.
It sounds like you are a solution-for-hire...
The best of the best are problem solvers. And this is where you’re fantastic, whether it’s something you’re confident of and have experience, or something you have to pick up and learn, you get sh*t done.
You are a specialist! You are a specialist in change and transformation, and so many people cannot do what you do. Pivoting to this and that, always focusing on the outcome, the deliverable in front of us and rarely about “what’s in it for you”. These things are what make you, you and things to be proud of and are extremely valuable “specialists skills”.
I enjoy recommending colleagues from engagements - this one is for someone who has the great mix of communication skills, insights into business and change processes - combined with that often underestimated way of asking the right questions. Business processes can seem theoretical, until they run into the hard reality of being applied, which is when you need someone like Patrick to actually consult, advise and take action.
So the real question is why am I not on your team already?
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