Life Behind a Cement Truck........

Earlier today I was on my way to a networking event. I had wanted to arrive earlier, but had a couple of important things to attend to early this morning. I got on the road hoping to still be able to make the event (I did thank goodness), but for a while there I was stressing because taking the back way from my home in Tooele along the back road of Highway 73 it's usually a quick jaunt to the Cedar Fort area where the event was to be held. I was sailing along with my cruise control but then I got stuck behind of all things a Cement Mixer Truck. He was going 10 miles under the speed limit and every time I tried to pass I'd get stuck behind him. You see on the open highway are these yellow marks that allow you to pass when safe. It's for a scary moment on a 2 lane road a "game of chicken" with the cars going the opposite direction from you.

So I'd ease over looking around the cement truck only to see a vehicle come every time I wanted to pass. I attempted this 3 x's getting stuck behind......the cement truck yet again. So I had this lingering thought throughout the day isn't life like this? You and I all have cement trucks (obstacles) of some kind or another at some point, the key is to remain patient to get around them. I couldn't help but smile as this thought crossed my mind and I realized yes I'm going to have write about that.

Here are some ongoing cement trucks you are bound to run into at some point or another in this journey of life: the deal that won't close, as a recruiter the stubborn role that has numerous obstacles ahead of you before you go forward, the inflation of 2022, the marriage that doesn't fly, the death of a loved one, the people who won't cooperate on the project you are working on, the delay in parameters you wish to attack. The list as they say is endless....which leads me to an interesting conclusion - that to go around the cement trucks is all about timing, and perfect planning. Ironic? Perhaps. But if there's one thing that emerges it's the reality that to keep growing is to keep looking strategically for those "breaks in traffic".

Some things about life that are clear - creativity, and strategy are king when it comes to knocking out the incredibly challenging realities we may be facing. So here's some tips to overcome the Cement Trucks that are blocking YOUR open road:

1. Have a Plan: Having a Plan is incredibly powerful, when you have a plan of execution, and knowledge that you want to achieve a specific result, start planning it to the minutest details. Have this plan make sense, have it shine so brightly in your mind that you can communicate it, that you know the execution and the means to get there. THIS - above all else is the beginning of the means to "fast forward in your lane".
2. Enlist Allies: Imagine if a Police Officer was in front of me and I could radio him to "open the way forward". Could you see the cement truck moving over, or that people would hold the way so you could "pass". Yes. Indeed having allies is JUST LIKE THAT. They clarify your plan, they help you execute it, they clear the road, and give you the means to surge forward.
3. Plan for the Obstacles: Many things in life may be un-planned. The Cement Truck certainly was! But if you plan for the obstacles you will be able to run the table, turn the gauntlet, shoot the target, and nail the challenge. Planning for obstacles may sound incredibly simple but it's also in some ways thinking ahead with "contingency plans" and thinking about the logical realities of what you are focused on. In Recruiting it could be salary, location, size of talent pool, etc. BUT the reality is the win in the execution is more about learning from the obstacle and then becoming better equipped for future ones. No one ever built a city in a month, let alone conquered major challenges in a short time, in fact, maybe there's a lucky moment where every single thing is going to come together, but tenacity, grit, determination really are keys to overcoming obstacles now and in the future.
4. Keep Learning - if you saw the cement truck and you knew the time of day it was travelling or if you saw the challenges you will learn from them and in turn make inroads when it seems "impassible" after you learn a few steps to overcome the challenge.So we live in a time where everything is interesting, we've come out of Covid 19, the economy is interesting, the challenges may seem real in front of you, and the solutions may be a phone call, a key step away from achieving what you set out to do. But to become a leader may mean thinking a bit differently about the challenges, and executing against your goals with creativity. I realize now more than ever life is like being behind a cement truck, but with a clever plan, and some foresight you may be able to break around the obstacle and go full speed ahead........