As the year 2013 winds to a close I thought long and hard about what I might offer to you, my clients and colleagues, as a gift. Sure, I could send the obligatory fruitcake (does anyone actually eat those?) but then I asked myself, what is the biggest lesson I learned this year? What made the biggest impact?
Here it is, with a bow on top: Share your spirit.
Let me explain.
As many of you know I am a hobby musician. I play electric guitar and sing with a rock band, performing out in small clubs and bars. This journey all started when I was a child. I loved the guitar and I always heard its tones jump out above all other instruments. I took up the acoustic when I was 17 and my parents bought me my first guitar for Christmas. I still have it!
Over the years I played off and on, only acoustic and sometimes with long, long breaks. I mostly learned songs; I knew little of music theory or how the guitar worked. As my 40th birthday approached last year I wanted to do something special to celebrate the milestone, and although I hadn’t played guitar in some time, my heart called to the instrument. I signed up for four months of lessons and put on a concert in my house for 45 of my friends and family. That was a magical night, and it reminded me of how much music meant to my soul.
I continued the guitar lessons and since my favorite music is hard rock and progressive rock, I decided to switch to electric. My teacher moved away and assigned me to a new instructor who changed my life. He taught me how to use knowledge of music to express myself on the guitar. He mentored me and encouraged me to start performing live.
15 months later I am playing out regularly and have even been developing a mini-following! I love bringing smiles to people with music and I have big plans for 2014 to play at blues jams, to write songs, and to record.
I am, however, still a rookie. A year and a half is the blink of an eye when learning an instrument and getting seasoned in live performance. I have so many skills yet to develop, and nothing can replace experience when it comes to the juggling act that is playing in front of an audience.
Being so new I have had to accept that my performances won’t be perfect. In terms of technical skills, I work hard and see improvement all the time, but there are millions of guitarists out there who will always be far better than me. So I had to make a decision. What do I have to offer? What can I bring as a gift to my audiences?
The answer is, my spirit. I bring the joy I feel when playing music and extend it to all of the people I see in front of me in a performance. I aim to connect with them and let my energy flow to them. As a result, I have been able to bring audiences to their feet, not with perfect, technically brilliant playing (though I’m proud of where I am), but with my spirit.
When I look at my clients, who span industries, sizes, and cultures, I see the same success factor when it comes to their global teams. The teams that succeed are comprised of people who are willing to share their spirit.
- They take five minutes at the beginning of conferences calls to get to know a new team member.
- They remain present in virtual meetings, rather than give in to a hundred distractions.
- They reach across the digital divide and put warmth into their tone when they speak.
- They reveal the things that make them joyful.
- They are honest about the things that frustrate them.
- They contact team members when they don’t need anything from them.
- They share photos and holiday traditions, and ask about the holidays of team members.
- They are forthcoming about their strengths and challenges.
- They assume positive intent.
- They make team agreements and set norms with their colleagues around language and accent differences, cultural differences, time zones, conflict, celebrating success, and more.
- They intentionally offer their unique skill set to the team and learn from others.
Sharing your spirit is a risk. In global teams, live performance, and life there is always the chance you will be rejected. The benefits, however, far outweigh the risk. If you are willing to share your spirit, doors of opportunity will open that you never knew existed.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your willingness to connect with me in 2013, and I look forward to serving you in the coming year.
Happy holidays and rock on!
Thank you for reminding us all of what we bring to the table, the thing that matters most, and is most unique about each of us – our spirit. May you be in good spirits all throughout the holiday season, and into the new year!
Sue
What a wonderful blog this is, Vicki and a very special Holiday message for us, both as individuals and business teams . Thank you. Here’s to much enjoyment of the season and the beauty of the spirit. Music is certainly a universal language that speaks to everyone and awakens the spirit of any age. Wishing everyone a year of success, prosperity, safety and peace.
Thank you! I agree about music. There is a wonderful website called “Playing for Change” which uses music to bridge across cultures. http://www.playingforchange.com.