I have recently changed careers.  I have gone from being a classroom educator with 19 years of experience to Landscape sales, estimating, project lead, and design.  I have gone from a job with a workload of about 200 days a year, 40 hours a week, slow paced, nurturing environment to 260 days and 50+ hours, many moving pieces, fast paced and very competitive.   So needless to say I have been learning everyday.

I feel like Yahua pulled me out of the classroom.  I have been wondering why for the last 9 months.  I have had little answers until recently.

Springtime is our busiest time of year.  We pick up a majority of our client base this time of year.  We go from clients waiting  a 1 week for services to waiting over a month month.  We have more customers wanting our services than we can perform.  Our crews are pulling 60+ hours every week of hard back breaking labor trying to get caught up with the demand.

During the course of this madness I was too busy to pay attention to an email from a  client wanted to make a change to services that were going to be rendered. Then while assisting the crew on site I made the executive decision to add some extra service for free, and not fulfilling the other wish the client had asked about.  I  assumed that me adding an extra Free service would go above and beyond and help us to “under promise and over deliver”  Turns out I just was exerting my will into the situation instead of considering someone else’s.

By not being attentive to my client, and not doing their will I lost a client.  I also caused my company to not be as profitable, and my guys did unnecessary labor that day.  All because I did not listen and do the will of my client.

My take away

I Am a very opinionated person, I tend to “do what I want to do”.  These may be good qualities for certain task in leadership, but when It comes to serving others, it can get in the way.  I must be willing to lay down my own will for others, and do what they want me to do.  This doesn’t make me a sell out, it just means I become more compassionate and caring for others.

I hope I can use this lesson to carry over from my work life to my homelife and improve my relationships with others and most importantly The Father.

Afterall it’s not my will but His.

Lesson Learned the hard way.

ouch!