The "F" Word -- FLEXIBILITY

This past week, I returned from four days of visiting my family in the tiny but great state of Rhode Island. Yes, my boss actually unlocked my ankle bracelet and allowed me leave the state for a few days – lol. One of the highlights of my trip was showing my eleven year-old son the tree I had purchased and planted when I was seven years-old. Like me, the tree has many rings and shows its history; however, she (yes, she) stands tall, proud and elegant and has many great stories to tell.

After several days of partaking in delicious Atlantic seafood, watching the Bostonians drink themselves silly over the Celtics, and visiting the church and house I grew up in, it was time to get back to the West Coast. My flight was due to leave on Monday at 3:00 p.m. After I had checked in, gone through a detailed weapons search (I kid you not), and was reveling in a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee, Delta Agent Debbie announced that due to electrical storms, our flight would be delayed three hours. OK… I thought; better to arrive alive then to elect my own death via electrocution in a flying tin tube. I could certainly handle a three hour wait. As we neared 6:00, Delta Agent Debbie informed us that our flight would not be leaving for yet, another two hours. A slight anarchy was brewing amongst the less tolerant passengers. It’s quite comical to watch how rude and childlike people can become as a result of their inflexibility and lack of manners. As 8:00 came and went, and I was up to date on all of the celebrity mags, Delta Agent Debbie, now clad in a bullet proof uniform, announced our flight would not depart until 10:00. Fast forward two hours, Delta Agent Debbie, now opting for the witness protection program, sheepishly informed us that our flight was now completely canceled and we’d need to rebook for first available flights in the morning. Great! A seven hour delay and I wasn’t an inch closer to my intended destination. The morning was even worse when I had been bumped twice before finally boarding a 1 p.m. flight. Close to 24 hours after the fact, I was at last, homeward bound. Unfortunately, Delta Agent Debbie has since been reported missing.

As I sat in the exceptionally tiny seat of 33A, I couldn’t help but think of how important it was that I had maintained a good attitude, humored the situation and strived to exude flexibility and patience throughout my epic of delays. I’m always running at 100+ miles an hour and here was life graciously handing me time to relax, catch up on my reading, do some writing and just simply… be.

Many times, with our clients, we’re required to make an unexpected change. A change we may not like; a change that may inconvenience us greatly; a change that in the absence of looking through the right lens, we might miss great opportunity. The critical factor in embracing unexpected change is our ability to display FLEXIBILTY. It’s easy to get frustrated, lash out at the cause, quit, or announce our entitlement to not have to yield to the change. Staying the course, exhibiting professionalism, being flexible and keeping a laser like focus will bring insurmountable success to your projects and ultimately, respect from your clients. Although the process and timing of my trip home had changed, I still ended up with my intended result; a safe journey home. Sometimes the journey will require a different path or approach, but the destination and end result is the same. The next time you’re confronted with an unanticipated change with your client; don’t hesitate to use the “F” word… “FLEXIBILITY”. I guarantee this is one time you won’t get your mouth washed out with soap.

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