I AM NOT A PLUMBER
Just before Christmas, my wife Liz fell and broke her leg. We are a few weeks on now, and she’s recovering slowly, but it’s a journey for both of us.
Part of the journey for me has been multi-tasking like never before. Clearly, like all men I took to this readily…
Cooking? Not a problem.
Flower arranging? Probably 5/10. We’ve had a lot of flowers.
Running the house? Not bad. You’d need to speak to the management, but my self-assessment would be pretty high.
Continuing to work with clients? Absolutely. One thing I have learned at times like this is to keep working. Not at the same pace as normal, but the right amount of work that we love is definitely good for our well-being and keeps energy levels up for more draining tasks.
But then the shower stopped working.
I am not a plumber.
We sought help from a male friend (act of humility on my part, and generosity on his), and got it sorted.
I mention all of this because I think it’s important to be honest about our weaknesses.
We rightly give a lot of focus to recognising, celebrating and making best use of our strengths. I am a huge fan of this, spending a lot of time helping folk do just that.
But our weaknesses? We don’t seem to talk about them so much. Others’ weaknesses? Oh yes, we talk about them all right. But our own?
Of course, sometimes by working on our weaknesses we can turn the situation around. If we are in roles that demand we develop new skills, then by the discipline of regular practice there is no doubt we can get better. I could even be a plumber one day…Maybe not.
Life is a team game.
My friend has a skill, a gift, that I don’t have. He can do plumbing. In my weakness he gets to show his strength. He gets to use his gift, in the service of others. If I never own up, he doesn’t do that, and both of us are the poorer.
Workplace example? If we are visionary thinkers, we likely have a weakness in thinking operationally. Be honest. It’s OK. Find colleagues who are wired the other way around.
I knew a leader whom I greatly admired for what he said, but who could offend listeners by the way he said it. He had a partner who would go around afterwards calming things down but re-emphasising the message. They knew what they were doing. They were a team.
So let’s not be afraid to be honest about our weaknesses, and in so doing give others the chance to use their strengths.
It’s by working in teams that we change the world. That’s the best bit. Working out how to access all of that is the challenge. But this much I know. I never need to learn to be a plumber.
FANCY A SLIGHTLY LONGER READ?
Maybe try one or more of the books
