Lessons Learned

With less than a week left as President of our Business Women's Group I am reflecting on the year that I am leaving behind me. What a year it has been!

It wasn't enough that I was stepping way out of a comfort zone and taking on a task that I was not sure about. It has definitely been an experience of learned lessons. Some expected and some not expected or surprised at the outcome.

I think the biggest lesson I have learned is some people are just not comfortable moving forward. Technology, new ideas, and just changing what has been done for years hinders that process a lot. I am not a personality type that just goes with the flow. If I set my mind to doing a task I want to complete that task the best way I can. But, if you don't have an entire group behind you it is a far harder situation to complete.

I set some high goals and expectations at the beginning and I feel I definitely scared off a lot of people either due to my approach, some would call it western bias or just the fact that our group has taken a turn in another direction. I would have loved to been able to run with my ideas but it seems they were only my ideas and a few others. The majority of the women are happy just sticking to their current rulebook. Unfortunately, that limits our group and will eventually change in the wrong direction.

A big thank you to those who wanted changes and we did make a few. Some said little steps are better than no steps at all. This possibly is true but you have to listen and sometimes I felt I was talking on deaf ears. You can't please everyone, but its not about pleasing its about changing with results. At some point I realized your really not hurting me but hurting the group in general.

It was an experience and I hand things over to a very capable woman. I look forward to seeing what's on my horizon and I am enlightened by the experience.