Doug Cartland's Four-Minute Leadership Advisory
Doug Cartland, Inc.
01/07/2014

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I fell asleep on my couch over the holidays. I dozed off about midnight and woke up after a roly-poly night's sleep at 5:30.

 

I picked up my book of the moment and read for awhile and decided at around 7 that I really needed some more sleep if I was going to function that day.

 

So I shut my eyes determined to get some more rest.

 

After a fitful battle...concentrating on settling my mind...focused on slumbering...I finally calmed...and dropped off...to sleep.

 

Strange thing, though. I immediately fell into a dream in which I was driving a car down a two-lane road. There were snow patches and I could tell I was driving too fast. I slowed down so I could manage the road.

 

Most importantly in the dream I was really tired and kept dozing off while at the wheel. My head would drop and I would snap it back. My eyelids were heavy and I was fighting them hard. Sleep grog was overwhelming me.

 

So, in reality, here's what was happening: My conscious mind was trying desperately to get some sleep, but my unconscious mind was trying desperately to stay awake. My mind was fighting with itself.

 

How strange. I've never had that before.

 

Same person, same body, same desire for its well-being, but competing interests. My conscious mind was correct in assessing my need for sleep. But my unconscious mind was also correct in my need to stay awake. Each reacted to the realities that they existed in.

 

In business we have competing interests all the time. Sales and ops are the clearest examples.

 

Sales says, "We need 10,000 widgets by tomorrow! It'll mean big money for the company and it will make our month!"

 

And ops says, "Say what?! You want what by when? It can't be done. Or, let's put it this way, it can't be done well."

 

Both have solid arguments. Both are competing for the sanity of their realities, but also their perceived view of what would be good for the health of the company.

 

Sales wants money in the bank. Money in the bank is good.

 

Ops wants to put out an excellent product not compromised by hurried workmanship and without killing the profit margin because of overtime or its employees outright with fatigue. These are also good objectives.

 

What's missed too often is that these competing interests, these differing perspectives, this friction, is healthy for an organization if it doesn't become political and territorial.

 

Sales has ideas and a perspective. Ops does too. If duked out in a healthy, respectful way, the best ideas will make their way to the front.

 

If the two interests are instead allowed to defend and point fingers, then no one wins-they'll sink into entrenched immovable interests that destroy morale, teamwork and profit.

 

But if honesty comes to the table and the arbiter (the unbiased CEO, General Manager or whatever) has only the health of the company as a whole in mind, then the friction produces the best of everyone.

 

Both camps are challenged to think more creatively, to step out of their perceived boxes of impossibilities, to reassess their own expectations and capabilities and look honestly and critically at another view point.

 

This will sharpen each department's thought processes and make each better.

 

In my case, of course, there could only be one winner...in this case my subconscious. I woke up and then could not get back to sleep.

 

And I felt the impact of its victory for the rest of the day.
I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email and let me know your thoughts. 

 

Sincerely,  

Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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