Oh Lord It's Hard to Be Humble

Reminds me of a song...

Mac Davis, a country singer and songwriter, used to sing "Oh Lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way..." But, it's in those humbling moments that we find out just how imperfect we really are. I related an experience about joining in on a conference call just as my colleagues (who had no idea I was on the call) began a 10 minute assault on me. I could have gotten off of the call, but I chose to listen in. As painful as it was, I listened to their criticism and took the necessary steps to "readjust" my approach and heal some key relationships. It was like attending my own funeral. But I got another chance. That was a GREAT lesson in humility.

We heard from others today that have lost jobs, missed opportunities, taken steps back financially, made poor business decisions and struggled to find their "professional selves".


Listen Closely

We also talked about listening and being better tuned into our clients/customers and our industry. We hear so much in the news about the economy and businesses that are struggling, but what is it our customers and peers are telling us? Do we ask? Do we really listen? Do we react? What adjustments can we make to our businesses by being better listeners.

Lessons to Practice

We left with these 5 Lessons In Humility

1. “My customers know things that I don’t – so I will ask them what they want.”
   
2. “My employees know more about the implementation of their jobs than I do – so I will elicit their input and be receptive to their ideas.”
   
3. “Neither my employees nor I can be creative all the time – so we’ll solicit ideas from everyone we know including customers, vendors, friends, family and consultants.”
   
4. “What I knew yesterday is not enough for today – so I will be receptive to suggestions about introducing new products and services, implementing new concepts and embracing new ways of doing business.”
   
5. “I need to demonstrate that I am listening and paying attention to customers’ needs – so I will respond to phone calls, emails and other inquiries in a timely manner.”

Practicing these five degrees of humility will make you a better business professional and a better person. In the words of the 19th-century philosopher and art critic John Ruskin: "The first test of a truly great man is his humility."

This Week's Exercise

Everyone is asked to focus on humility and listening. When something happens in either of those areas this week, tell us 1) what the situation was 2) how you felt and 3) what you did and 4) what the other person(s) reaction was. Post your experience(s) below.