Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

I have seen people doing some not-so-good things that I sometimes do. Yikes! I have a lot of incentive to cut down on those things.

The past several days I have been around people who are complaining a lot about something. It is really annoying to be around them as they complain. Don’t they see how it all looks? Don’t they see how their complaining is only making things worse?

Then I recall that I sometimes complain. Surely I don’t look like that? Enough denial. Yes, I do look like that.

Here is an exercise, most of which I learned from consultant Jerry Weinberg.

1. Make a list of three or four things that you do that you suppose irritate other people.
2. Keep that list with you, glance at it everyday so you will remember the things.
3. Look for other people doing those possibly irritating things.
4. When you see someone doing one of them, take note of how it looks and what it accomplishes.

The results will probably teach you as much as the last several days have taught me.