Day one of this tour has been, in a word: fascinating
“Business Newsmakers”
I was a bit nervous before appearing in my first interview on the Chicago TV show called “Business Newsmakers.” I had no idea what kinds of questions I would be asked about The Inner Game of Work. Jack Taylor, the host, wanted to know exactly how the principles of The Inner Game of Tennis and Golf applied to work. He focused mainly on how to quiet the fears and doubts of the mind which prevent achieving excellence in any endeavor. And, being from Chicago, he brought up Michael Jordan as an example of someone who was committed not only to excellence but to maximizing his enjoyment of every game he played. The bottom line: if we can acknowledge the great resources of Self 2 in both work and play, we will perform better, enjoy more, and learn a great deal at the same time.
“Milwaukee Mid-week”
The next interview was with Ann Dekorsi of WMSE Radio out of Milwaukee. She had a totally different approach in conducting the interview. She observed that the workplace had become a place where there were mounting pressures to get more done in even less time – and acknowledged there was a lot of burn-out. “In this environment some older people are opting for early retirement. Is this the right choice?” she asked. I replied that the choice was not whether or not to retire, but whether or not to become a learner. The current work environment requires that we all learn how to learn – this is a requirement of living in an age of change. We have to become comfortable owning what we know, admitting what we don’t, and skilled at closing the learning gaps. If you are not willing to do this, then you might as well retire, no matter how old or young you are.
“Noon Business Hour”
The third interview was a five-minute shot on WMAQ radio in Chicago. “Tim Gallwey says that it’s what happens inside that counts. What are the primary ways we get in our own way at work? What are some practical ways in which we can be better coaches? Can people who conform find happiness?” All this to cover in five minutes!!!! The answer to them all, however, was the same – we have to know how to reach inside to find our inner resources, and then be very aware of what is happening on the outside so we may respond successfully.
What am I learning? How different interviewers can approach this topic – and my task is to communicate with each particular audience – using questions of the interviewer as a springboard for saying what I have to say to people I’m not even seeing. Fascinating first day.