Posts Tagged ‘Linchpin’

Getting out of my funk

April 30th, 2010

(Note: It’s Friday, which means this post is a part of our “I Feel Fridays” project.  Our goal is to share stories from the past week that generated an emotional response.  We encourage readers to respond to the post or to share something from their lives in the past week. To learn more about “I Feel Fridays,” check out this post- and then tell us what you’re feeling.)

 

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and discouraged this week, causing me to be in an unproductive funk.  As the week draws to an end, I’d like to share how I’m trying to get out of this funk.  And I’d also ask you to offer any advice you believe might help.

The fallout from vacation

The first of my negative emotions stems largely from an unmanageably large “to do” list, which grew exponentially while I was on vacation recently.  As the list has grown, a sense of hopelessness has set in, decreasing my energy when I need it most.  I bet many of you can relate.

Currently, I’m attempting  to deal with this issue by doing a better job of prioritizing my daily “to do” list.  More importantly, I’m trying to focus on some advice offered by Seth Godin in his latest book, Linchpin.  Godin tells us that Linchpins (people who make a difference) do a better job of “shipping” products than others. 

By “shipping,” Godin means completing tasks on schedule and sending them off to market.  It might be a software product you’ve been working on, a presentation you’re going to give, or a marketing plan that’s critical to your business.   Linchpins find ways to ship products on-time, even when they feel the product is not quite perfect.

That’s where I’m at right now.  As I prioritize my tasks and work on my products, I’m trying to not let my fear of imperfection get in the way of shipping. 

Discouraged about the future of rural communities

The second of my negative emotions stems from a general sense of discouragement about the future of small towns.  This emotion comes from many sources but is highlighted by the recently announced temporary layoff by Knight & Carver Wind Group in Howard, SD.

The temporary layoff at Knight & Carver is personal.  Not only is the business in Howard, but I helped the company establish itself here in 2007, when I was the community’s economic development coordinator.  Even though I’m not directly involved in that work today, I still feel connected to it.

Before going further, let me say that my heart goes out to workers and their families who are dealing with the financial and emotional uncertainty of the layoff.  I know the company’s leadership cares deeply about its employees, and I’m confident they are doing their best to meet the challenge.

And that’s where I know I need to focus my attention.  Just as businesses must overcome challenges, so too must communities.  This isn’t the first challenge confronting Howard since our community development efforts began in the late 1990s, and it won’t be the last. 

As Jack Schultz identifies in his “7 ½ Keys to Big Success in Small Communities,” rural communities that thrive are those who adopt a “can do attitude.” To some, this may sound trite, but I think it’s a critical element of success community development work.  Adopting a can do attitude will prevent community leaders from wallowing in the fear and self pity that causes them to do nothing.   

And that’s where I’m at personally as well.  Prioritize better.  Ship more regularly.  And refocus on a can do attitude.  That’s how I’m attempting to get out of my funk.   If there’s something I’m missing, I hope you will help me out. 

 

Photo Credit – Secret Tenerife – Flickr

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Posted in In the News, Rural | Comments (3)