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The Human Factor

By David Smith
President, The Employers’ Association
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Some live in the past, holding on to the accomplishments of the past far too long. They value tradition (often to the point that they will not venture from the past into the present). They may have pictures of old teams and outdated certificates on the wall – living within their memories – holding on to days gone by as if they were still the most important times of their life. These people find comfort in knowing “what was” rather than thinking about “what could have been” or “what might yet be.” People living within their past often hold on to “the old ways” because they worked, never imagining they may not continue to work in a changing world.

“Fiddler on the Roof” was a movie about these individuals. Strong, value-driven and steeped in tradition, the culture of the times often held onto tradition to guide their daily lives, but the family depicted found that letting go of the past was an essential part of moving into a modern era.

Most individuals live in the present, finding both satisfaction and a belief that they are achieving their fullest potential by fulfilling their routines and daily activities. They rush from one task to the next without questioning why, knowing only that one thing must be done before moving on. These “present dwellers” are firefighters. They see a problem, throw themselves fully and totally into its resolution, then move on to the next issue. They are always on the move, often frustrated (and seemingly frenetic), frequently too busy to enjoy the beauty around them. They may appear to be “Tasmanian Devils” (as the old Bugs Bunny cartoons depicted) – moving well beyond the speed of light, buzzing through anything unfortunate enough to be in their paths – travelling a seemingly erratic path towards what they feel is a well defined destination.

While these people are valuable “doers,” they may be unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor because “so much needs to be done in so little time.” They seem to always run out of month before their projects are done – and often lose sight of “the big picture” as they rush to accomplish the “means” without thinking about the “ends.” They may find themselves too busy “doing for today” to ever “dream of tomorrow.”

A precious few live within the world of “what could be…if only.” They do not limit themselves to “what must be done” for they would prefer to dwell within the realm of “why not try doing it differently?” Rather than accepting that tasks and objectives must be accomplished in a prescribed order they live in a world that questions the reason behind every action they take. While they consider the past, they refuse to dwell within it. Rather than perfecting the present they prefer to do what must be done in order to build for what is yet to come. You can recognize these individuals by their passion – by their outward expression of the attitude that nothing is ever quite good enough because it can always be improved. They can’t seem to stop themselves from saying things like, “…that’s really good, but have you thought about…?” Accepting the present as a destination is not an option – they prefer to linger just long enough within “today” to learn what must be known so they can spring towards the accomplishment of their dreams. The movie “Field of Dreams” would depict this world. Considered by many to be dreamers who not only fail to act responsibly but perhaps fail to recognize reality – these individuals truly believe that if they build a dream, something will come of it.

Where do you live in this world? Do you live in the past – anchored within the tradition that has guided people to security for years? Do you live in the present – seeking to accomplish life’s daily tasks and challenges? Do you live for a yet to be realized (or even identified) future – seeking progress today so that you can move into tomorrow?

Not everyone can be a futurist (nor can we all be historians or accomplishers of daily tasks). We do, however, need components of all these characteristics – people dwelling within the past, the present, and the future – to have a winning team. It is important that we identify “where we live,” however, then embrace it as move forward. In order to contribute to a thriving organization one must know how his or her strengths (values and beliefs) add to the overall good of their community. When we recognize and embrace individual uniqueness – actively making it a vital part of each relationship (whether at work or at home) we begin to define what could be rather than focusing upon what is. By recognizing you are part of the solution – that no matter where you “live” you bring value and contribute mightily to the accomplishment of a task – one is able to move beyond today towards a future tomorrow. By focusing more on “why not?” than “if only…” you may surprise yourself how nicely your little world fits into the universe around you!

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