“Put me in Coach! Put me in!”

Those were the words I said to my basketball coach years ago.  I loved basketball, being part of a team and playing competitively.  I got pretty good and felt confident but I wanted to get better, so I started playing ball with the boys.  I certainly wasn’t a tom boy, far from it, in fact I’ve always been a girly girl.  Playing with the boys was hard, they were quicker and stronger than me and more aggressive and skilled than me.  I never did get as good as the boys, but I became a better player because of that experience.  Their skills were so much better than me that I had to raise up my game just to be able to stay on the court and play. Everyone once in a while I surprised them with a three point shot or a quick steal and drive to the basket, those were good times!

I learned a lot of lessons from that experience:

• When you play with someone that is better than you, your skills improve.
• If you are in an environment that challenges you, you become stronger.
• When someone is quicker than you, your focus improves.
• Playing with someone smarter than you causes you to get mentally tough.
• When you are challenged you work harder than you do in a complacent environment.

As they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”

So the next time you are in a challenging environment or are working for a boss with high expectations, just remember how much you are growing and how strong your skills are becoming.  You’ll likely look back and thank that boss for all that he or she did to help you move your career forward!

Collaboration in Action

I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the Office Dynamics Conference last week at the Red Rock Resort. The theme for the event was "Connect, Create and Collaborate." I've spoken at this conference in the past as well as been an attendee. However this year was truly an event of distinction. The attendees were absolutely amazing; they were engaged and hungry for growth. Each speaker was remarkable in their own right providing valuable information to stretch and challenge the attendees and to inspire positive change for the attendees an individual and for their career as an administrative professional. Another fascinating dynamic about this event was the collaboration between the speakers. Each speaker encouraged and cheered on one another. We believed in each other, had respect for one another and genuinely wanted the best for one another. Some could say we are all competitors however if you were an observer, you would have seen a group of friends laughing, connecting and collaborating. Perhaps it was the conference theme that caused our behavior . . . perhaps it's because we are all motivated by the same positive intent ~ to facilitate the success of the attendees. No matter what caused this dynamic, it created an incredible conference experience and one that I will cherish for a lifetime!

One for All and All for One

Last month I had the good fortune of learning that I would be a contributing author for the book, “Life Choices – Putting the Pieces Together” which will be released this fall. This is my first book and I was ecstatic to hear that my story had been accepted by the publisher!

As I was riding on that wave of excitement, one of my colleagues shared her enthusiasm for this accomplishment and stated, “I can’t help but think that when this happens to you, it’s a victory for all of us!” What a tremendous acknowledgement of what it means to be part of a team! Her attitude was spot on and one that we can all learn from. It’s so easy and natural to let our egos get in the way, or to have feelings of jealously when someone else succeeds.

What a difference it would make if we all followed my friends example and truly supported our colleagues. With this attitude we all share in one another's victories and we all experience the win!