I can do it different

This thought came to me this morning at work.  The boss is out today and I am handling some of his responsibilities.  When he gets an invoice, he saves it as "mm-dd-yyyy funding request."  This is saved in a 2007 sub-folder inside a folder titled "weekly billing."  Wouldn't it just be easier (since we already know it's a funding request), just to say "mmddyyyy?"  Wouldn't that be simpler?  The answer is yes and while I was tempted to save the file my way, I deferred to his method because I don't want to rock the boat.  Which got me thinking..

 

How often do we have ideas for a new way to do something, but defer because we think the parties affected aren't hip to the idea?  Or maybe we defer because people are too comfortable with the old way?  It's worked before so don't go changin' it!  Next time you're in that sort of situation, think about the people you're working with or trying to affect.  If you're a creative person trying to influence a linear-thinking type of person, you may have a tough road ahead of you.  You may see the whole picture in one big panoramic shot, while they may see the picture as a puzzle.  And in order to see the whole picture, you have to fit all the pieces together.  I think that because of my boss' legal background, he's a linear-thinker.  And perhaps that's why I don't seem to gel with him as well as I did my previous boss.

 

What's interesting is that I have many linear friends (you know who you are) and we seem to get along well.  So what's the difference?  I think I have more patience and common ground with my friends (hence the title "friends") than in work situations.  I tend to view my friends as key figures in my life.  I think I view work as a drama where we have different actors playing roles that have no effect on my "real world."  It's kind of an odd way to think about it, but I think that's how I separate the two.

 

This has been your semi-monthly look into my mind.  Please join us next time when I talk about Johnny Appleseed and his love for apples.