by David J. Pollay on December 19, 2011
I needed to fix something in the house, and I needed help fixing it. I called a company with a good product, service, reputation, and price. The sales representative I talked to was helpful. When I had one question that required a manager’s assistance, the representative transferred me to him.
The manager who picked up the phone wasn’t very friendly. He wasn’t thrilled to answer questions, and his responses were a little curt. That didn’t stop me from asking politely every question on my list. In the end, I was happy with his answers, and I ordered the product and service I needed.
A critical aspect of
to distinguish between making judgments and having preferences,
and always focusing on what matters.
I prefer people to be friendly in a business transaction. I see positive human interaction as an opportunity to spread goodwill in the workplace and in the world.
However, not all people who do good work are friendly—no matter their reason. So rather than judge them as “not nice people” or “not good guys,” I focus on their ability to do the job right. I need their help fixing my problems; they are not required to be my friends. Now, if I have two companies to choose from and they’re equal in all measures, I will choose the more friendly one. That’s my preference.
Having preferences is natural. It’s part of being human. Act on them if they’re important to you. However, be sparing in your judgments. You can prefer something—and act on that preference—without judging others too harshly.
This week notice when you start judging people. Recognize when what you’re really expressing is a preference, and refrain from turning it into a judgment. This is what living The Law of the Garbage Truck is all about.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
All the best,
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by David J. Pollay on November 25, 2011
I think about this every day:
Don’t protect your comfort.
Expand your comfort zone.
Too many people are in the “hunker down – the economy is terrible” mode. This is not the time to retreat. It’s the time to ask more of yourself.
Find ways of giving more to others; look for opportunities to contribute to their well-being. When you help others, you make the world a better place … and the research confirms you’ll increase your happiness.
I believe deeply that good things cycle around to people who approach life in this abundant way. In The Law of the Garbage Truck book, I call it contributing to the “Gratitude Cycle.” (pp. 120-129)
We can do it: Let’s expand our comfort zone and achieve more this year.
All the best,
p.s. Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends celebrating in the U.S.
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by David J. Pollay on November 16, 2011
I was driving in the middle lane. There were two left lanes for the entrance to the highway. I needed to move into one of them. I looked in my side-view mirror before turning. There was just one car coming up in the distance. I had plenty of room.
As I turned into the lane, I could see that the driver of the car was now speeding up. He was bearing down on me fast.
Thankfully, there was another lane to the left, so I started to move into that lane to get out of his way. But the driver of the other car sped up even faster and turned into the far left lane as I was moving there. When I saw him make his move, I yielded and let him take the far left lane. Okay, fine. I know The No Garbage Trucks! Pledge. So, I said The Pledge in brief: “I do not accept garbage. I do not dump garbage.”
Then, the light turned red, and I stopped. I was six cars back in my lane. He had only one car in front of him in his lane. But, rather than pull up ahead, he stopped alongside me. He was mad about something, and he wanted to get into it with me. I kept focused on what was important to me, and I did not take his bait. I followed The Law of the Garbage Truck.
The other driver was a Garbage Truck, and I didn’t need to internalize his frustration and anger. So I thought to myself, “just smile, wave and wish him well” as we do in The Pledge.
A long twenty seconds passed, and the driver pulled forward. We never saw each other again, and the world was a better place because we did not escalate a potentially dangerous situation.
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by David J. Pollay on November 10, 2011
If you don’t want to suffer the negative impact of Garbage Trucks at work, have clear goals.
Garbage at work can emerge when you and your boss are not clear on shared goals.
If you work for a boss who is unclear about their expectations of you, don’t let it turn into emotional garbage that weighs you down (frustration, disappointment, judgment, etc.).
Don’t guess or assume why your manager does not communicate more effectively; that will not help you. Instead, draft your own goals and present them to your manager at the right time (when they have the time and attention to review them with an open mind).
Be respectful. Be patient. And be persistent. Don’t give up until you are on the same page with your boss about what you must achieve to be successful at work.
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