“You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.” – Andrew Carnegie
Ladders… bridges… symbolism today.
Many of us act as different forms of structure throughout a given day. Whether it’s a ladder, a bridge, an electrical conduit, the list is endless. Whatever I do, whether it’s Executive Coaching, Team Development, Organizational Consulting or Workshops, I am an instrument in some way, a bridge for the participants to get them somewhere, somehow.
I recently had a dear friend in from Los Angeles and somehow we got to talking about traveling (he’d stopped in NYC on the way back from Europe) and the variety of bridges you see throughout the world. I was immediately jarred by the thought of my experience earlier in the year crossing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa, the 5.5 mile length bridge. Then I got busy online and found the Arsenal Bridge in Rock Island, Illinois that can rotate 360?. Wow, there is such a variety.
As someone who’s often referred to as a ‘bridge’ for companies and their employees, I loved the conversation and emphasis on details and the ways in which the details of architecture, structure, and usability are relevant to the landscape of the specific environment. The same is true of both large and small businesses. Employee development and strategy need to be built according to the environment in which they exist. In thinking about the type of bridge you need, understand what types of elements contribute to your company environment:
- Company culture, mission, and goals
- Playing to employee’s skills & strengths
- Action steps that improve business functions
This year I participated in a Success Academy program in New York where a variety of speakers dispelled their unique ability at being a bridge in a particular way. I spoke about utilizing unique skills and focused on how maximizing your strengths and the strength of your company impacts those around you and ultimately impacts success. Building relationships is essential to success and how we build relationships is very much relevant to who we are building them with, and thus, what we need to build. The particular road followed, the particular bridge, the process taken. Check out a segment of my presentation on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEMQmgmxkrs&feature=channel
Want more? Let me know: erivera@linesofexcellence.com
Tags: academy program, Andrew Carnegie, bridge, building relationships, coaching team, Company, company environment, culture mission, development, electrical conduit, environment, environment company, Europe, Executive Coaching, Illinois, ladder, Los Angeles, New York, Rock Island, structure, success, success academy, Sunshine Skyway, sunshine skyway bridge, Tampa, variety, way, year