Driving

I learned how to drive in Iowa. Back then, you could start with your permit at 14 years old, after drivers’ education. My first car was a huge Monte Carlo Super Sport and I drove it excitedly amongst the single lane roads. With cornfields at my side my greatest fear was a winter ice storm or a family of deer darting across the road. Other than that, driving a car was simple. People were Iowa nice and they mostly obeyed the rules. Life paced by evenly with a steady volume of traffic on the road.

When I turned 18, I moved to New York, my confidence in driving was wildly shaken. Instead of driving in a town with just a couple of stop lights, I now drove on roads with six lanes. Turn signals all of the sudden became optional and hand signals were often shared with me from other drivers. And most of the time it included only one finger. The pace speed up and I moved fast to stay with the increased speed and volume of cars.

What a difference from one location to the next. It taught me several things. I had to compare the kind of driver I was in each location and adapt to my environment. I’d encourage each of you to reflect on something where the pace and volume come into play. Comparing something simple, like driving to your work environment, might shed light on the differences of where you were and where you are now, or hope to be soon.

To begin, how you see yourself starts with the pace you are moving at. In life we don’t need to always drive with the pedal to the metal. Look at your work environment. What is the pace of action? Is it fast, slow, or does it fluctuate? Listen to what is asked of you and if you hear, “I need it now!” You assuredly know when you are in an environment of immediacy. Hearing, "you can take your time and complete work when it's completely done," demonstrates a more patient and deliberate environment. Look around you to ensure you’re not missing anything. Is there a way for you to unburden a co-worker driving at 90 miles per hour for you to both level out at 60 miles per hour because you’re only driving 30 miles per hour?

Volume is a second lesson derived from driving that you can take with you into your workplace. When you’re driving you’re immediately cognizant of the number of drivers sharing the road with you. Sometimes in the workplace you’re immediately aware of lots of work and employees or you work in a place full of individually assigned tasks or stove pipes. Again nothing against either environment but you need to be aware of it. Even if you don’t see it, there may be a huge volume of work in the cubical next to you. If you’re noticing you can barely shift lanes because the amount of people on the road with you, work to find other routes. Is it possible for you to speak with a mentor or sponsor to push you into an adjacent, less congested space? The impact of this new route may get you to your destination much faster.

Regardless of where you’re at, it’s important to recognize your pace and volume of your work. As you reflect on these things, take a look at your workplaces priorities and align them. If there are concerns, don’t wait to see the check engine light come on or you may breakdown. Look at your pace and volume, seek your optimal speed and route of travel while you find your greatness.