Seeing Around Corners

On my desk at home, I have an old-fashioned clock with a noticeable ticking sound as the secondhand jerks around the dial. Most of the time the ticking is a perfect match for my writing, with my fingers moving at a similar cadence. At other times I sit still, no longer in rhythm with my clock. My fingers stay motionless, but the jerking secondhand continues. I focus on the sound of time moving forward and I am reminded of the truth of my situation. 

I am on a job hunt. I have been blessed to lead multiple teams in my career and my current team is as good as it gets. The clock continues to tick and every day I swear gets a bit louder. Midnight comes on March 31 for us all and this team will be no more. So today, as with every day, I job search and refine my strategy to find my next great job. 

After reading countless job descriptions on LinkedIn, I pause at a job requirement listed deep into a job description. As with reading a great poem, time slows down for me and the clock ticking fades away.  I find these words beautiful and with the same power as a poem, I recognize a truth about myself and find encouragement to move forward. 

“Seeing around corners and balancing analysis with intuition to plan for what’s known and unknown, and simultaneously react to emerging business and people needs.”

There is movement in these words. We must step forward into the unknown with confidence in own experience and skill to address anything found around the corner. To know when to use data to decide on the next step and when and how to use our intuition to decide. Most importantly, the skill to use both together. 

Planning for the unknown takes experience and faith that one will make the best choice on how to move forward. Yet, this statement also mentions planning for the known. How often are we fully aware of what is wrong, yet we do not act to address and improve?

Simultaneously react to emerging business and people needs. There is no option to focus on business or people needs. They are linked and we must address them together as one. How often we forget this and create more issues by focusing on the business need and ignoring the people needs of the organization. 

So I stand here today exposed, approaching that corner. I can not see what lies around the corner, but I have the experience, know-how, and grit to make it happen. The job search continues. For my team and everyone searching for their next great job, stay strong and do not fear what lies around the corner. 

As I stop typing these words, once more I notice my desk clock. The ticking somehow is louder than before. I listen. I understand. I accept the unknown around the corner. 

-WeMoveTogether