In this blog, I try and find correlations between my professional experiences in transforming global companies and professionals, and my personal journey with cancer. If you have been following me of late, as of October 2015 I have been pronounced cancer free – again – by my multiple teams of doctors at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. (YEAH!)
On my last visit in December 2015 for a neuro consult (they had to make sure my brain was still there… HA!) I was again deemed healthy and cancer free. After 12 surgeries and procedures in less than three years, things happen with your body that for me, the patient, were not expected. The docs may know, but… With much scar tissue and muscle removed in various areas of the body, things grow back differently than before. Nerves have been cut, muscles are not there, scar tissue abounds. Your brain reacts to the multiple (12) sessions of anesthesia. This last doctor visit provided me the direction for this blog post when she said “Bob, you need to adjust to ‘the new normal’“.
Sure I know how old I am and many of the insights I have about how I feel and function I would have thought would have come with a more mature perspective on life – not mention age. (OK, I know I tell people I am 39, but, my daughter is 37 and son 35, so YOU do the math….)
So just what is “the new normal”? Please remember my insights here are both personal and professional. On the personal side, I have changed my outlook on life. Please see my blog post What you see isn’t always reality…
Staying true to the NO TMI (Too Much Information) focus of this blog, trust me when I say I live my life differently than before and people around me have no clue.
From a professional view, I am learning more every day. Actually it is more correct to say I am remembering more every day. I look at clients from a more “personal” view. I see them more as people, not part of a business. OH yes, the business process, the competitive position, the bottom and top line drive, etc. are still quite critical and central in my perspective for my clients. But, I now look at my professional relationships as more than people to help me make money by selling more product for my employer. By understanding my clients have personal insights, needs, and are driven by their own companies culture and business needs, it helps me be a better advisor, confidant, and “trusted business advisor” (OK, yes, I really dislike that phrase “trusted business advisor”, but it is a reality in our business) to them. THAT will help my employer establish relationships that will last over time beyond the transaction – and make us money – and create true business value and relationships for/with our clients.
So what does this have to do with “the new normal”? My personal “new normal” has changed many times over three years. I know that my reality can change hourly if not monthly. The technology industry that I have been in for almost 40 years is a “light-speed” changing industry. My client industries and companies change at their own speeds – but VERY fast compared to 20-30-40 years ago. My personal “new normal” lasts for six months – until I go and get my new round of cancer scans and tests which the docs say are expected to be clean and clear of cancer. But for my clients and industries worldwide, “the new normal” is always changing. What we know is, what is true for today will change tomorrow.
What does this mean for companies and for your own professional perspective? It means slow down and listen. It means look at your business partners, colleagues, clients, customers as people with their own personal and business objectives. It means when you listen, listen to understand, not just respond. It means best practices aren’t. They are good for THAT company, for their processes, at that point in time. NOT for you. But you can learn from it.
In the end, my personal journey with cancer has provided my with a refreshed and renewed view of experiences I have learned in my career and the people and opportunities I have met that have helped me learn. As I go forward with my career over the next 10 years, I look forward to using my skills, experience, and insights to provide value for my clients/customers, employer, my peers/colleagues, and my team and students to be more effective in their own situations to provide more value in their world.
Global Navigator 