Man Its Cold Outside!

One Well Drilling Fool!We have a fancy new LED sign that will soon display the 14 or so ministries that are focused on the community (it is part of our mission - christisgood.org). The developers are still learning to program it so right now it greets the community and displays the temperature. The temperature was 35 degrees Fahrenheit and I believe it. Freezing, walking into the building, I was thinking, “Man! It is going to be a very cold year this year. It is never this cold in October. I am freezing. Oh man! I have to go well drilling in Tennessee! It was some 15 degrees colder there. Oh…” My fingers are still freezing as I type this article – the heat will not come on until 8 AM because we are cheap (actually, we are trying to get 51 cents of every dollar given into the mission field).

But I have to ask myself, “Can I authoritatively say it really hasn’t been this cold before?” I really have no data whatsoever. It is funny because in summer here in the Old South – 70 degrees really felt cool and in a few months 70 will feel like summer.

I was thinking that any change is very much like how I feel today. I will adapt to the change in temperature and it will feel normal. Only the extremes will really be noticed and life will go on. Boy, could all of us Leaders learn a great lesson here. Whether we are leading homes, businesses, people, organizations or whatever, change has to be adjusted to and different people will adjust differently. For example, Jerry Jones – a great friend of mine – would sweat if you put him in a deep freeze. I fully expect to see Jerry running through the parking lot today in his boxers praising God for the cool. On the other hand, I am already layering and thinking about how cold it is going to be in Tennessee in three weeks.

As I secretly hope for an Indian Summer, I am reminded of another great Leadership truth – change not only has to be adjusted to but it is also a catalyst to questioning what other changes will come, how drastic those changes could be, and what the impacts will be for those encountering the change. We need to let people react, tell us how cold it is, how surprised they are and let them cycle through all of the questions. We don’t need to put them down or belittle their questions. Those who don’t run through the parking lot celebrating the change you announce will probably need some time to adjust. You just changed their world and they aren’t sure if they are going to like it. Stability has been disturbed and the promise of stability is simply not enough to assure – it takes a bit of time.

Boy, my fingers are cold – the heat has come on – it smells of new year heat – I wonder when it will warm up.