The Only Constant…
Steve Browne joins us for todays #AdventBlog with the reflection on the theme of “its time to change” with his blog entitled “the only constant”. For me, the only constant in December has been chocolate!
Steve is the Chief People Officer at LaRosa’s Inc, which is chain of Pizzerias across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. He is a serial blogger for #AdventBlogs, so I am thrilled that he agreed to write one this year. You can connect with Steve via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveb5/ So over to Steve, and remember to share your reflections on LinkedIn.
Everyone has heard the phrase “out of the box” for decades. It’s used because we tend to be very boxy as people. It’s true. People crave consistency, conformity, and control in all aspects of life. In my opinion, those three factors lead to confinement and complacency. There’s so much time and effort put into keeping things in order and in line that we stifle creativity and . . . change.
At the same time, people experience an ongoing gnawing urge of wonder. We wonder things like “what if?” or “Have we ever considered?” We can’t help it. It’s how humans were designed. The ancient philosopher Heraclitus noted this when he said, “The only thing that is constant is change.”
I’ve never been good in a box. Ever. In fact, if I ever sense that someone is trying to box me in, I look for the quickest way to break through whichever wall I can. Please don’t think that I’m completely fluid. I have my patterns, nuances, and quirks. There’s a form of structure. It’s just not linear. Let me give you an example . . .
When I moved to Cincinnati after graduating from college, I worked at a Fortune 100 company that was the pinnacle of compliance and conformity. I sensed something was amiss, but didn’t know how to address it. So, I went with the flow just as the thousands of my peers did. The culture was strict and dictated to each person. You dare not express yourself in a manner that runs contrary to any of the established norms.
I needed an outlet, but had a distinct challenge in front of me. I didn’t know anyone in Cincinnati other than my cousin, her husband, and their growing family. This was long before the internet, connection apps, or social media were present. If you wanted to get to know people, you would meet in person at an event.
One day at work, while I was wearing the obligatory blue suit, tie, and white shirt uniform, which seemed to be so constricting, a sheet of purple paper landed on my desk. It was an advertisement for a group called Young Friends of the Zoo. It announced the next meeting being held, and invited new, young people from the Cincinnati area to check them out. I had nothing to lose, so I chose to go.
At the meeting the following week, I walked into a room of strangers who all seemed to already know each other. I wasn’t familiar with the format of a monthly meeting, so I stood off to the side and kept to myself. This is not who I am. If you don’t know, I’m the extrovert's extrovert. I relish the opportunity to swim in a sea of people and get to know as many of them as I can. Not this night. I fought my tendencies and observed. As the meeting began, a person took the microphone and shared that the group had the need for a Chair of the Beastly Ball. The ball was a large, city-wide costume party that was the group’s primary fundraiser. It covered the costs of getting together and was also a vehicle for Young Friends of the Zoo (YFOZ) to donate to research being conducted by the zoo.
When she finished her plea for someone to step forward, she was met with utter silence. No one responded. She hung her head and shuffled back into the crowd. I felt that “what if” nudge. I wondered what would happen if I volunteered to be the Chair. Would the leaders think it too forward? No one knew me. I wanted to find a way to meet people in the city, and this seemed like an opportunity to do so.
I went up to Laura, the person who made the request, and introduced myself when the meeting was drawing to a close. I said, “Hi there !! I’m Steve Browne. This is my first meeting at YFOZ, and I heard you asking for someone to help with the Ball.” She responded, “Yes, we need a Chair. Someone who could direct and run all aspects of the event.” I replied, “Sounds great. I’d love to volunteer to be the Chair.” Her jaw hit the floor. “Are you sure? You have no idea what’s entailed. This is our biggest fundraiser, and it can’t fail.” I told her I understood and felt it would be easy to step in to run it.
She peeled off and talked quietly with three other officers of YFOZ, who then came over to meet me. “Tell us again who you are,” they asked. “My name’s Steve Browne. I’m new to Cincinnati, and this is my first meeting. I heard you needed help, and I’d like to step up.” They were as dumbfounded as Laura. They told me they’d have to discuss it, and they’d give me a call later in the week with their decision as to whether I could be the chair.” I was cool with that.
A few days later, Laura called me and said, “We’ve talked. This is very unusual, but we’re going to let you take on the role. What do you need from me?” This is where I blew out the walls of the box even more. “I’d like to have time every month in front of the membership to talk about the event, get them geeked about what we’re doing, and have them join me in this effort,” I said. “That’s it?” she asked. ”Yep. That’s all I’ll need,” I answered.
She kept her word. I went from being in the shadows to having a chance of rallying the members to our cause. Fast forward several months. I had come to my first meeting in January, and the Beastly Ball was in October, around Halloween. Our event was wildly successful !! We had the most volunteers YFOZ had ever had in putting everything together. We built an Egyptian tomb as our theme in a large office building that was under construction. We had the largest turnout of attendees at the Ball, the most sponsor dollars, and we raised far more than had ever been anticipated for Zoo research. Oh, and I also met my future wife during this time – but that’s another story.
So, instead of going through a traditional gauntlet of years of being known and holding several elected positions, I took a chance to effect change. It wasn’t expected, and they took a risk by letting me step into a leadership role as a stranger. What they didn’t know is that I never felt this was daunting or out of reach. It was an opportunity. An opportunity to meet people. An opportunity to bring them together and develop relationships as we rallied around a common cause. I didn’t see the barriers, obstacles, and boxes that had been established by how things were structured in the past. It may seem like an unusual approach, but it’s how I’ve walked through my life personally and professionally. A constant adventure of change.
Knowing that the only true constant in our lives is change allows us to move freely in and out of roles, systems, and expected outcomes. So, look around. Where can you step up? What’s calling you to move out of your box? Where can you make new connections and leave an imprint and impact?
You need to try. You see, it’s time to change !!
Image of the earth being revealed from behind the moon, with the phrase "The only thing that is constant is change." – Heraclitus. Image from International Space Federation - https://www.facebook.com/intlspacefed/photos/a.224460250920411/2118331904866560/?id=216281778404925