I was enjoying dinner on an outdoor patio at a busy downtown restaurant, when it began to sprinkle rain from a fast-moving cloud.  At that moment, a waiter who was visiting with patrons at another table looked up at the sky and then came racing down the patio, loudly exclaiming “PLEASE, NO!!”. I appreciated his apparent concern for the comfort of the patrons dining outside, but then he added……”I JUST WANT TO GO SKATEBOARDING!!!”  Then he said it again, presumably so we could all be sure to understand how importing skateboarding is to him. The shower suddenly stopped as quickly as it began, but I was left with another vivid customer service moment!

Your team members may not be fired up at work for the reasons you think they are!  What are their priorities?  While at work, do they align with the exciting purpose of your business?   For that matter, does your business have an exciting – and worthy – purpose?

If you’re a leader, it’s your role to provide purpose and direction, then get your team fired up about it!  It’s about engaging hearts and minds, not just hands and feet.  If you work on a team, it’s up to you to find a worthwhile reason to be there, beyond a pay check.  The days are otherwise long and unfulfilling.

Much is said and written about Work-Life Balance. The reality is that, for most of us, work is part of life and vice versa.  The idea is to “be there”, in the moment, whether you’re at work or somewhere else. The balance part is about that relationship, not thinking about balancing on a skateboard – unless, of course, you’re working on that frontside 180 kickflip or another move!

To be fired up about where you are and what you’re doing is to Maximize the Moment.

Tempus Maximize!