Tadpole To
By : Cheryl E . Johnson , PCC Galveston Co . Tax Assessor Collector Cheryl . E . Johnson @ co . galveston . tx . us
Prince
Change is a fact of life and challenges even the bravest of hearts , but provides some of the greatest opportunities for personal and business improvement . According to Dictionary . com , it is both a verb and a noun and can be used with or without an object . If you are the object , it may represent pain and require courage . For me , change is a daily responsibility , a fabric of my being as I believe it is a necessity if you wish to achieve excellence and strive for more than simple survival .
Think of caterpillars and tadpoles . A caterpillar ’ s pace is slow , its opportunities limited , yet morphs into a butterfly without limits . Tadpoles have only the pond in which they hatch but grow legs and become creatures of both land and water and , according to the lore of my youth , could possibly achieve the greatest of heights if kissed .
Our organizations are reflections of us , exposing our attitudes , aptitudes , potential . What does your organization say about you ? Are you a change agent or a creature of habit . If you created it , every nuance of it is you and I hope its reflections mirror your dreams . If you inherited a successful business or organization ( or were hired to lead one ), will it adopt you or you adopt it ? If you inherited a less-than-functional / successful one ( or were hired to fix one ), it will either sap your energy and defeat you or provide secrets to greatness behind what appear to be closed doors . It is simply a matter of attitude .
I inherited — actually asked you to allow me to lead--a dysfunctional government office . There were monsters under every bed , cobwebs in every closet and resistance …. incredible resistance . I began the cure with one simple act – required then employees of my predecessor to reapply for their jobs . The weebees ( we be here before you came , we be here after you leave ) were converted to wannabees or asked to seek their purpose elsewhere . Everyone working in the Galveston County Tax Office asked to be there , competed against others for their position or worked their way up into leadership positions . Everyone is offered an opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves – challenged to grow through service to our communities and to change for the better .
The Galveston County Tax Office has a vision , a mission and goals . Our vision is that the race for quality has no finish line … we will always be aimed for the target but will always move it further away to enable our growth to continue . It means we will make mistakes but we will learn from them . It means we will be nervous in our approach – not relaxed . Anxiousness and anticipation generates energy .
So , will you pass through this life and work with dread or take flight from your cocoon of safety ? Transform or deform ? Modify or stagnate ? Grow or wither on the vine ?
The choice and responsibility is yours . If you lead a business or organization , be the role model for the performance and attitude you expect from others . Be their cheerleader , supplier of tools needed to get the job done ; be willing to change – not for change sake but to enjoy the benefits of success achieved because you dared to try .
MOMENTUM / March 2017 19