A large part of my childhood was spent with my Papa on his farm in Forney, Texas. Whether on a tractor or in his little yellow farm truck, we spent hours driving, with me in his lap steering and him working the gears, clutch, brake and gas. It wasn’t long before I convinced him that I was ready to handle everything from the driver’s seat.
The tractor was my first feat. With the gas pedal on the right side and the clutch and brake on the left, I would literally almost fall off the seat trying to push in the clutch to change gears. Through an endless paradise of open pastures, I learned so many valuable lessons during those “driving times.” I can hear him saying “Dan’l, use the clutch and ease into those gears!!” It’s funny I don’t recall him ever telling me to slow down, but rather “take the time to use the clutch and the ride will be much better.”
It dawned on me recently as I took a Spring Break trip with my daughter and husband, just how important “clutches” and “easing into the next gear” are to the success of most things in life, personally and professionally. While clutches and manual transmissions may be fading from mainstream existence, the theory behind them still reinforces a vital discipline. Recharging, focusing on strategy, asking yourself or your team “why,” “so what” and “for whom” are questions that easily get overlooked and pushed aside, especially in our perishable, “sell or smell it” business. Couple this reality with the speed at which marketing is evolving and it can seem as though Indy-like speeds are necessary to keep up. But, while Spring Break is not a recognized paid holiday time for most adults in the working world, we can still heed my Papa’s advice and “ease into the clutch” as we transition into a new project/phase/season/etc.
Easing into what’s next will guarantee that you don’t “stall the engine” and provide a smooth ride for both your company and your audiences. We are taking this advice, as well, as we (The Core) take a spring break in preparation for rolling out a new version of The Core on April 4th. It’s a given that my adoring Grandfather would have a big influence on my life, but it surprised me that the thrill of a manual transmission would have such a lasting impression.
Posted by: The Entertainer (Dan’l Mackey Almy)
