When its Gone...

The Everyday 'Special' We Miss

Over recent years I have become an early riser. Up at five or five-thirty AM, a little exercise, breakfast and into work. A couple of weeks ago, I was eating my usual over-night oats as a part of my morning routine and my phone rang without me seeing it - a friend. 'Not to worry, I'll call them back later'. Then, a few whatsapp messages came through. Then, my phone lit up.

It took me a while to realise, before seeing something major was going on. A quick scan of all the messages coming through told me there had been a fire. At 2:30am that morning the local fire services were called. By sunrise, the clubhouse at my golf course had burnt down to the ground.

It is a weird sensation. The news is so unexpected it is hard to react to. Shock is all I can come up with.

I had become fond my local golf club in Gisborne after becoming a member a couple of years ago. So much so I nominated to join the Board Committee recently and was voted in. I had attended one meeting thus far, and now BANG - I found myself in the Inner Circle of an emergency. Double Shock.

The club house was a colonial style one story humble building. Good enough to have a few post-round beers, Thursday night quiz nights, as well as the occasional function - weddings, 21st birthday bashes, even funerals. The toilets and change rooms were simple at best and the kitchen churned out everyday pub grub. It was simple, a little dated and tired, but it was serviceable.

There were many a time I sat in or just outside the clubhouse discussing with mates what improvements could be made... the furniture, the under-utilised deck, the food, the service... the list goes on. It was something I was keen to learn more about as a part of the leadership and possibly help to improve.

Now, without notice - all gone.

The good news is the golf course itself is untouched and within 24 hours of the blaze, golfers were back on the course (a wonderful achievement in itself by the team). But, there is now something very important missing to the golf experience. There is nowhere to congregate, socialise, or even wash your hands. Now, there are some portable buildings servicing the basics and a large burnt out reck of what used to be there.

The difference is obvious, but what was once a perceived problem (a tired dated clubhouse) is now very much missed. Plans to rebuild better are already on the way and there is an air of optimism. But, the reality is that it will be a tough road with a large chasm to fill in the short to medium term.

I see this same bemoaning of the day-to-day in the workplace teams of my clients and businesses I interact with. We become critical of the mundane and annoyed or irritated by deficiencies around us. The people we work with can grow tired on us and we can find ourselves walking around seeing the many faults to be tolerated.

As a leader, I used to walk around my workplace mentally cringing at the many imperfections I saw that weren't up to my standards. You may feel the same.

At dinner parties, over coffee, or at a BBQ we often find ourselves swapping war stories about our bosses, clients, and colleagues. We vent and sometimes laugh off the irritation and frustrations of our workplace. But, what if it was all taken away suddenly?

What are we without our challenges? How empty would our days be without the diverse characters we work with? Difficult people tend to be our biggest teachers. Senior staff are a window into the human condition under pressure. Micro-moments of learning, achievement, and understandings/misunderstandings create memories to enrich our Experience Bank.

Should we move on, become redundant, be moved on, or the business fails we would lose the opportunity to do all of this within our teams. It is worth acknowledging, and with acknowledgment comes a sense of gratitude which in turn fuels engagement and energy for the work at hand.

How I wish I could munch on a dodgy dim sim with a schooner of Holgates Pale Ale at the Gisborne Golf Club Clubhouse. Something I will never be able to do again. The new clubhouse may be better, worse, or just different. But that old colonial style club is gone forever. Your team will be too one day. Be sure to embrace every moment - they are more special than they seem.