Allow me to tell you a story about Charlie.
Today Charlie is in a position of significant authority and influence within a prominent organization. It wasn't long ago, however, that he was viewed as something of a malcontent or a screwball. Thankfully he realized that in order to achieve his objectives for his career he needed to change. He took to heart the critique of his leaders and made the necessary changes that have earned him a seat with the leadership team today.
During a recent training session, Charlie made an interesting observation. He said that sometimes he is reticent to take on additional projects and responsibilities because he might not complete them as he would want or as others would expect. In fact, just recently a coworker had observed him making a mistake and said, "There's the old Charlie again."
When he was sharing this story, a fellow leader looked at him and asked, "Well, was it the old Charlie?"
My response: "There is no old Charlie. There is a new Charlie who is not yet perfect. Let's be careful that as people change and mature we don't view each misstep as evidence that they haven't changed - that they are the old Charlie. Instead, let's recognize that the person has grown and continues to grow."
In today's follow-up session with this team, the same fellow leader asked, "But how do we know that someone has changed? How do we know that they aren't the same old person?"
In the case of Charlie the evidence is clear and compelling. Charlie has earned a seat among the leaders. That only happened because he purposed to change and others saw that growth.
Are there individuals who don't grow? Individuals who regress? Of course. But then they aren't the "old Charlie," they are the "same Charlie" or the "ever-worsening Charlie."
As an example, a few nights ago I arrived at the Dayton airport after midnight and I waited for my bag to appear on the baggage carousel for what seemed like forever. During that time I was subjected to a play-list of adult contemporary and classic rock. Included was Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror."
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
I thought: "I wish Michael Jackson had lived out those lyrics. Perhaps he would still be with us today."
Realize that "old Charlie" suggests that there has been a change. That a new Charlie has emerged and we must resist the temptation to view Charlie as unchanged or as reverting just because he continues at times to be less than perfect.
Challenge: Allow others to change, to grow, to mature. Who are you tempted to view as unchanging or unchangeable? Who do you continue to charge with being "old Charlie?"
At Julian Consulting we help our clients leave "old Charlie" behind! Call TODAY to determine how we can serve you in this process.
