A Bad Fit

There we were, rookie coaches, at an evening social event with other, more seasoned coaches, trainers, staff, and spouses. 

I was talking with a few of the newbies, of which I was one, when the lead dog came into the room.  This was the guy who started this thing many years ago and who built it into one of the most successful franchises of its kind.  At least that was what I was told.  I never really checked.  Either way, this guy was a genius at how to build businesses by virtue of his own experience, his track record helping others succeed, and the worldwide company he now owned.

It was pretty cool. Except for one small challenge.  I didn’t like him, not one little bit.

While we were standing there chatting amongst ourselves, the “big dog” walked into the room and headed toward us. Not much choice, since we were right inside the door he used. He walked up, said something shallow, and I could not help but notice him looking over our heads.  In all honesty, he was a pretty tall guy, but looking “beyond” us was pretty condescending.  What was he doing?  Small, shallow, I-don’t-care-who-you-are-or-what-your-story-is talk in order to buy time, look over our heads and find someone he deemed important and far more worthy of a conversation. Then he was gone. Off to someone or something seemingly better.

I hope you’re getting the gist of what I’m sharing. If you are, you might have had similar experiences.

Rude, arrogant, condescending.  Not attributes I’m very fond of. Outwardly smart and successful as this guy was, he rubbed me so far the wrong way! I struggled from that point on with him being the leader of this entire gig.  While many of my colleagues were the polar opposite of him, he was at the top and that just did not sit well.

Our values are what we hold to be true and important in our lives. They are filters through which all decision are made.  If it fits the filter, keep moving forward; if not; run away.

So I eventually ran.  A good decision. One that led to my company today.

What are your top 3-5 values? Companies define these things often, some even live and execute through them consistently.  But this is about you – what are your personal values? What filters do you use to evaluate careers, relationships, and difficult choices?

Having the right filters, or defined values, will lead us to make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.  And that’s a good way to live.