I’ve recently been writing about patience. I agreed to do one post and that prompted Lead With Patience, and now this. I found that patience relates in some degree to contentment and expectations. If we can manage our expectations, we can demonstrate patience. Patience is trusting, in the moment, the benefit will outweigh the delay. When the delay exceeds our expectations, we’re tempted to park our patience and “just do something about it.”
There are times when we still need patience even though we anticipated the hardship. For example, how do we behave when our team or our leaders make a different choice than we would, and their choices force a delay in a desired outcome? As a middle manager, I experience this most often at work. I don’t get the budget for the people or the systems I want. The IT department can only do so many things at one time, and my project has to wait. I’m sure you can think of some examples too.
How do you act when these types of things take place? Do you pout and complain? Do you whine and grumble to your coworkers or your peers or the people who agree with you? Have you ever noticed how talking with people who agree with you never changes anything?
Patience disagrees with people who can make the change. Patience pursues the change regardless. Sometimes that pursuit is simply waiting. Other times Patience must find a way to speak respectfully with those with whom we disagree. Patience will organize facts and consider all of the knowledge and values involved in a disagreement. And Patience does their job, understanding sometimes we need to learn things for ourselves before we can reach agreement.
Do we have the patience to speak with and learn from people who choose not to agree with us? Patience gives us the grace to give our best effort and honestly work for the correct outcome.
Has anyone ever patiently, courageously asked you to make a change? Did you do it? Do others find it easy to disagree with you? Do you find the patience to make a decision successful even if you didn’t agree with it? Share your thoughts and help us out. Thanks.
Photo credit unsplash via Pixabay.com
Mike Henry Sr. 