Randallisms

I had a boss many a year ago, a chap called Randall.

Your values and principles and convictions only matter when putting them to action is hard

Randall did a brisk trade in nifty catchphrases.

It was good. It was great.

He had a repertoire that varied from his mother’s rural Illinois wisdom and Winnie the Pooh aphorisms to Yogi Berra and Vince Lombardi quotes. The spectrum was varied enough to be authentically a thing and specific enough to be cultish. The places he quoted from were surprising at times. The things he quoted about were not.

He was consistent.

Not just in what he said. He actually lived by his catchphrases. They weren’t just words. He meant them. He measured value by the same tokens and for the same reasons he liked those phrases. He didn’t start acting a certain way because the quote lit a spark. He liked the quote because he recognised his values in it.

While we worked with him, we had no choice but to live by those values too. And once we no longer worked for him… most of us found that they were good rules to live by.

So we never stopped.

Consistency being one of Randall’s things.

And now, so many years on, I find myself thinking about him a lot.

Especially as we go through a time of stress. Redundancies in the hundreds of thousands in our sector across the globe and anxiety as the economy is contracting in the midst of war and a cost-of-living crisis of Dickensian proportions…

In the midst of it all, you may be affected… you may be fine… you may be fine for now but sick with worry about what comes next, what tomorrow brings.

And I have no cure for that. I can’t make it go away. I wish I could.

Still, as we all wade through the mire, I want to share with you my three favourite Randallisms.

For the journey. For what they are worth.

The first is ‘It’s not always about what it’s about’. Often the hardest one to apply to yourself.

We’ve talked about gaslighting in this column before. We’ve talked about office politics. We’ve talked about people who often deflect away from what they don’t know and don’t want to learn… in ways crafty and spectacular.

In our industry, and in life, things are often not about what they are about. It’s important to remember that in the world of work. That shadow play is never far. People use euphemisms, evasion, vagueness or misdirection to save face, avoid confrontation or sidestep an uncomfortable truth. That’s always the case and, sadly, in times of crisis, people become more themselves. So you will see such behaviours more often than ever in the months to come.

So, as you go through the days ahead, just try to remember that, although the days are deeply personal (how can they not be?), most of what is playing out started a long time ago, far away and it’s not about what is said… nor is it about what it feels like. And although I am not going to suggest there is a wider purpose to the stress and angst, a deeper meaning… I will say that it affects us all personally but it’s not happening to us specifically. I know that’s probably no consolation to most, but I personally find some solace in knowing I am in the stream of history right now. Knocked about. But this isn’t happening to me per se. it’s happening to all of us. So those of us affected less than others, we have a job to do.

And that job isn’t to stop this avalanche.

We are at the mercy of decisions made by people who no longer work here, budget allocations made years before history decided to make things a little more interesting. World dynamics and company tensions. Try to remember that what is happening to you right now is neither defining nor definitive even when it feels crushing and devastating. Most of what’s going on right now isn’t about what it’s about.

So, if you are affected, try to maintain perspective where possible.

And if you are not affected, try to maintain perspective at all cost.

For neither is exactly as it seems.

And provided we can keep body and soul together, keep our loved ones safe and shield our dignity and faith for better days ahead, the rest will come out in the wash. We won’t be unscathed. But we will be OK in the end. If we remember to focus on the important things, maintain perspective and look out for each other.

Hug your loved ones, and if you are amongst those lucky to still have a job and an income and comfort, please donate to your local food banks. Look after your community and volunteer at a soup kitchen.

Don’t lose perspective.

You need to look after yourself and others right now. Simultaneously.

And I have a Randallism to help you with each, have no fear.

Your second Randallism, for the choppy waters ahead, is ‘Opportunity always, always, always looks like hard work up close’.

Always.

If it doesn’t look like hard work, it probably is not opportunity. If you are looking for opportunity that shines bright, easy and restful, you will not find it. Definitely not right now.

Equally though, and that’s the reason why this Randallism is helpful, not all hard work hides opportunity in the toil. Don’t look for silver bullets and unicorns but equally don’t assume good things axiomatically come to those who strive, hope and wait. It doesn’t work both ways. If you don’t work hard, you won’t get far, but hard work alone may not get you far either.

Now more than ever, make sure you work hard at something that also works for you. Materially or otherwise. Work on the right things, work for the right rewards, work with the right people. These are hard times. Looking after yourself is good sense, not selfishness. Provided you don’t just look after yourself. It’s the proverbial ‘fit your own mask on before helping others’. It assumes you will, indeed, help others when your own mask is on.

Which brings me to my third and final Randallism and my absolute favourite: ‘Dance with the one who brung you’.

Don’t forget who invited you to the ball when you get there and the music is glorious and the lights are blinding.

Don’t forget who was kind to you when you most needed it. When they didn’t have to be. When they could have easily forgotten about you but didn’t.

Who opened a door and didn’t kick a ladder away when they were done climbing themselves. Who spared a thought, lent a hand, made time, was generous with advice and offered help.

Don’t forget who helped you along the way.

Because now is the time to dance with those who brought you this far and not the shiny mystery prince at the palace ball.

I haven’t seen him in years, but I am pretty sure Randall would tell you that your values and principles and convictions only matter when putting them to action is hard. When there is something at stake. When there’s a lot going on. That’s when they matter. That’s when they are values and principles and convictions. The rest of the time, they are just quotes you like.

#LedaWrites

Leda Glyptis is FinTech Futures’ resident thought provocateur – she leads, writes on, lives and breathes transformation and digital disruption.

She is a recovering banker, lapsed academic and long-term resident of the banking ecosystem. She is chief client officer at 10x Future Technologies.

All opinions are her own. You can’t have them – but you are welcome to debate and comment!

Follow Leda on Twitter @LedaGlyptis and LinkedIn.