3 nuances in change and consistency

This past week was #FFAWeek. The National FFA Organization serves as the largest youth organization in the country focused on agricultural education and leadership development. I can attribute much of my skills and development to the FFA.

As I reflected through some photographs found (in the dusty cobwebs of my hard drive), it brought back some found memories. It is remarkable how quickly time can pass and feel like yesterday in the same sense. I have changed a lot. However, I have also stayed the same in some ways.

It is weird to me. There are many leadership books, podcasts, theories stating how change is the number one factor to development. However, consistency also plays a role in progress. How do these two elements work together for us as people and leaders?

I think there are only nuances in change and consistency.

Why you should not call it a year-end review

It was my first year-end review. I was not sure what to expect. I took some time the day and morning before to compile my year accomplishments and highlights, biggest challenges and weaknesses and areas of improvement for 2016. The plan was to meet my boss at Texas T-Bone for dinner and discuss these objectives. A couple of steaks and brief discussion would not take very long, right?

About three and a half hours later, lots of comments and feedback had been shared. My mind was running at 100 miles per hour (just a little faster than the typical 75 mph). I felt overwhelmed, excited, uncertain, frustrated and encouraged throughout the conversation. I was choking among my own flood of emotions.

It did not get easier from there.

My line manager is challenging.
I shall refer to him as "Mr. Manager" throughout this post, as his name is irrelevant. His actions are not. 

He asks the tough questions and expects answers. He seeks collaboration and ownership on projects. Above all, he wants me, as a direct report, to be successful and happy. He knows what drives me. Mr. Manager is a very talented at reading people, understanding them and using that knowledge to hold fruitful conversations. When I first started on his team, I was not sure how it would go. We are both very goal driven and results-oriented. But, besides that, our personalities differ. He is more blunt, outgoing and downright ornery. However, these characteristics combined make an insightful, charismatic leader.

Mr. Manager is one that does not necessarily follow a script. He develops something unique for each employee. He has demonstrated this through actions this first year. He also discussed it as we began our discussion of our year-end review.

5 tips for being the coach and the athlete.

9 weeks. It has been 9 weeks since I began my new "coaching" role as a Seed Advisor Manager. 

Yes, I said coaching. I may be in the "sales" facet of the business. However, my job requires I do more than understand my products and hit our sales targets. I must understand the business of my eight seed advisors and help coach them to be as successful as possible.

For example, the image to the right is from a morning where I assisted a Seed Advisor plant a soybean plot in south central Nebraska. Having an awareness of how my customers are acquiring real-world data of our products gives me more exposure to strengths and weaknesses in my overall territory and individual seed advisors and their businesses. I can then coach them on where changes might be needed or where we are excelling.

You know what? I never envisioned being a coach. It just happened to fit the profile of what I do on a weekly basis with my customers. But that isn't the only thing I did not imagine.