Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I started watching a light-hearted movie last weekend and the description came up as “mild action and crude humor”. Made me smile. Then I thought about that combination and the intersection of those two things uncovered some very distinct memories. Of course, I always look for the lessons in all of it so here you go…

The first thing that came to mind when I read the phrase captured in the blog title was a weekend bowling with a few couples from our condo. We were all lucky if we broke 100 (mild action despite really trying) and one of  the guys in the group leaks out a few stories to get the ladies to giggle nervously until he gets a few more drinks down … then he makes the old bartender blush and his fiancé considers riding home in a different car.

Digging in the memory bank I recall wrapping up an office tour sharing with the company a change of direction, a restructure of sorts, where leadership covered a lot of ground driving and flying and answering hard questions. It was a lot of ground covered in a short period of time. On the way back from one of the bigger offices, our HR representative made some crack about taking the dirt road with a smirk that said she knew we had nothing but interstate in front of us.

The last and oldest I’ll share today goes back decades when my brother and I were hauling gravel for the county with a crew of independents who would drive hard to get one more round in before the end of the day. Some thought they were NASCAR drivers complete with their favorite driver’s number on their truck. Citizens band (CB) radios were filled with clever phrases, bad jokes and the occasional comment that would startle law enforcement or incite action from the FCC.

Unfortunately, this could also describe how some people approach business. Mild action, as if there is a choice whether we play to win or just play to not lose. Crude humor always leaves a victim or demonstrates the one flapping their gums is far too insensitive for anyone to really want to work with.

The leadership lesson today is:

Find your urgency, work (and play) like you mean it and mind your tongue.

Just smile and wave, boys!

Have a blessed weekend!

E