One commonly used idiom in the English language is… on the same page. If we are on the same page then we are in agreement or we think in the same manner. But is it healthy to ALWAYS be on the same page?

Yes, there are times that it is necessary to be on the same page, but there are times where we need to be on different pages…

How do you grow?

I grow in situations that are uncomfortable; that are challenging; that are not “normal” in my eyes. I learn in situations that are uncomfortable; that are challenging; that are not “normal” in our eyes. I grow in situations that are uncomfortable; that are challenging; that are not “normal” in my eyes. Three words/phrases… uncomfortable, challenging, out of the ordinary.

How do you view your relationships?

• The Catcher-uppers: There are some relationships that we hold onto while they catch-up with us… They catch up to our ideas, ways of thinking, and points of view. We are able to mentor these people. We are able to watch them develop. We are able to inspire them. These relationships rarely involve conflict; they agree with everything we say.
• The Equals: The equals are on the same page as us… they agree with us 90% of the time. The relationship is comfortable. We are able to bounce ideas and reflect with these people.
• The Ahead: We NEED these relationships to push us beyond what we feel is possible. We admire these people for their ways of thinking. We may disagree and things may become uncomfortable, but in the end, we grow. These relationships have a healthy amount of conflict. A conflict that is constructive and headed in the right direction.

More than likely, as you were reading these descriptions, you were categorizing your professional relationships. All types are beneficial. They feed us in a variety of ways.

How to tell “The When…”

“The When” is crucial…

When working with others, in building relationships, we are not going to be on the same page, and that is healthy because this is when we grow. However, we must all realize that we are heading toward a common goal.

In developing our individual visions to arrive at the common destination, we will incur challenging hurdles, navigation mishaps, decaying big ideas, intense collaboration, and needed changes. These are all natural paths. If, and only if, our eyes are set on the common destination, we will arrive and the outcome will beyond the imaginable.

So, I have to take us back to our original question…

Should we really always be on the same page?