I thought that people were on the same page as me.  But, that was early in my career.

Now I realize that people with whom I’ve worked:

• have their own interests
• are not necessarily interested in what’s good for the organization as a whole
• can be influenced by money
• prize access to others over the goals of the team or the success of a project
• are often looking for the next big idea to jump on rather than finishing what they’ve helped start

It’s not all negative.  When people’s interests are aligned with that of an organizations, then amazing things can happen.  Namely, you can achieve far more than you can as an individual and the alignment of common interests reduces organizational friction.

When I work with people I intend to bring everyone along with me.  I don’t want to leave people behind and I’ve come to understand that some people won’t move until they are ready.  Others won’t start until they understand what’s in it for them and that’s fine.  It’s not the way that I like to operate, but I’ll at least make the effort to show them the opportunities that exist and ask them to get involved.

Moving an entire organization forward requires patience, discipline, and a willingness to be flexible.  It also requires one to listen to the needs of others. Sometimes, just being heard is enough to win someone over to your side and join you in making a better future.