by DavidSpratt | Dec 11, 2019 | News, Planet Spratt
Behind the times in 2019. How to kill friendships and infuriate younger colleagues.
Each Christmas for the last three years I have taken the opportunity to mock colleagues, businesses, politicians and friends in the guise of a bit of festive fun. For me 2019 was a year of progressive transition to a new generation of leaders at work. This warrants a look in the mirror and into the mind of an old guy inadvertently keeping the glass ceiling firmly on top of our young talent.
“I just told you my great idea. Why are you being so difficult about it?”
Young people can be frustrating at times. Just because it’s the first idea that came into my head doesn’t make it wrong. Years of experience count for a lot when it comes to the important calls.
A conjoint Bachelor of Commerce and Engineering with First Class Honours doesn’t mean anything in the real world. It’s all theory, no practice. Degrees are for nerds.
“I can’t delegate. Last time I did that you did it all wrong. It’s quicker to just do it myself.”
Do it yourself and do it right that’s what I say. Young people are in such a rush, they are always making mistakes. You can see from the huge smiles on their faces just how relieved they are when I jump in with a few helpful suggestions. Mentoring is so satisfying. If only people would listen more.
“My Tesla was keyed in the supermarket car park. What did I do to deserve that?”
I don’t know what you are complaining about. We did it tough too. Interest rates were 25% when I was your age. I know a million-dollar mortgage sounds daunting, but you must start somewhere. Soon you will own a bunch of rentals just like me. It’s just a question of putting in the hard yards.
Oh yes. Just a reminder that the wife and I are away in Queenstown next week for a bit of bungy jumping and jetboating. It will be such a relief after the hustle and bustle of the Rugby in Japan. That final was amazing. Nothing compares to being there live. You really should try it.
“I know I said Tuesday, but other priorities came up. How about a week Friday?”
Everyone is in such a hurry these days. How can it be a bad thing to take an afternoon power nap? Grab me a coffee will you?
It’s PC gone mad I tell you
Spare me your mamby pamby, trendy lefty, climate warrior, sustainable vegetarian clap trap. Global warming is a myth. Haven’t you read the latest report from the oil and coal industry’s expert panel on climate denial?
“That’s enough of me talking about me. Let’s talk about you. What do you think of me?”
Maybe that story of how I was involved in building New Zealand’s first private “fibre optic network” (imagine my fingers in the quote position) is getting a little tired? What about the one about when I once closed a deal for a million dollars by saying nothing to the client and just listening? Perhaps I should do more of that?
It should be the fate of baby boomers to spend eternity in hell repeating work war stories and tales of the good old days. You can almost taste the resentment as we point out millennials inadequacies. They will surely realise how wrong they are after a few more years as understudies.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year readers. Stay safe and rest well. Try a power nap. They are really refreshing!
by DavidSpratt | Oct 17, 2019 | News, Planet Spratt
This isn’t an easy article to write. I am over 60 years old and have had a wonderful, successful life full of variety, excitement, joy and challenges. Throughout, I have seen myself as a solid kind of person with an optimistic view of the world and a generally even temperament. Now I find myself admitting to the world that I am not bulletproof after all.
A few weeks ago, I was juggling some pretty big issues at work, at home and in the political realm. That’s not unusual in my world, and for many of us in business this is very much part of our day-to-day lives. The difference this time was that I began to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
My symptoms were a mixture of shortness of breath, heart palpitations, anxiety and if I am honest, no small sense of panic. Just like when I get the man flu, I retreated into my mental man cave and hid while I ignored my beloved’s repeated question, “Are you feeling okay?”
My colleague and friend, Richard, recently spoke to me about the deep responsibility he feels for the 11 families that rely on our business’s continued success. He spoke of the need to put food onto the tables of these families and our obligation to provide a safe and supportive environment for everyone.
Thousands of us also carry this responsibility and willingly accept the burden that comes with it. Leadership can be a very lonely place, though. If we are taking care of all those around us at home and at work, just who do we turn to when we need support?
Admitting need
My first step was to summon up the authenticity to tell my wife how I was feeling. Before I spoke, I thought she would freak out and take on all my fears of inadequacy, failure and ultimate doom (yes I was really feeling sorry for myself that day). Instead, she just listened and reassured me and held me in her arms as I spoke, possibly for the first time in years, about my deepest fears. Then she insisted I do two things:
- Talk to my doctor
- Talk to someone I trusted
These were, not surprisingly, hard conversations, but nowhere near as hard as I thought they would be.
I am now practicing using some tools that I have been given to help me handle the inevitable stressful situations that arise in my daily life as a husband, father, grandfather, company director and elected trustee. I find myself living in the moment more. I play with my grandsons more often and say, “Yes,” to new experiences.
The tools give me the strength to lead when I feel alone, and the peace to accept that I am not actually perfect after all. It’s a good place to be.
Never too old to suffer
Running or owning businesses, leading teams or just being a loving partner or parent can be tough. We do it because we get satisfaction from what we do and because we love those who are closest to us. On occasions, though, the responsibilities can be heavy, and the challenges can prove to be very difficult to overcome.
Everyone deals with stress in their own way and it turns out that even a 60-year-old needs to learn new tricks sometimes.
Readers may be having all sorts of responses to this article. I usually like to keep it light and to focus on the nerdy technical things that I enjoy so much.
I do have one question though. Are you feeling okay?
