Great Expectations
I try to lead with generosity. This involves allocating time and attention more than money. Of course, the challenge is not to expect reciprocation. I'm not sure it can be called "generosity" if I'm expecting something back. Relationships are fundamental to my professional life. My type of consulting requires them. More than transactional opportunities, these connections provide the chance for deeper, personal engagement. There should be a curriculum for navigating such dynamics with co-workers, clients, or a broader network. It is much easier to operate only on a professional level, but also less meaningful. Some of the most difficult situations I've encountered, and continue to, is with clients who, through mutual interest, become friends. Rather than a single thread of connection, there are at least two that, if confused, can lead to frustration and alienation. I want to be chosen by a client for having the right skills, temperament, and experience and not because of a previous connection and shared concern for each other's well-being. Which is easy to write. Keeping the personal and professional appropriately distinct can be a challenge, especially when someone else is hired for a project for which I thought Foresight was well qualified. Being friends in such a situation means trusting their judgment, which can require suspending my own. "I don’t need to understand something to accept it" has become a mantra for me. It's so difficult to practice but also liberating. It requires cultivating a generosity of spirit that can challenge my capacity for it which, I think, makes it grow.
