“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken.” A former mentor would often quote this while teasingly flapping a Gumby in my face. Ha! Point well taken.

A tangible example are these great ergo friendly monitor arms at work.  What I love most is their ability to directionally change; positioned to the need of the moment. I change them often moving my monitors into closer or distanced ranges, based on my fluid, whimsical needs.

Recently, my friend, Julia Melendez, Administrative Coordinator, Office of the CEO and President, Marathon Oil Company, shared a favorite mantra, “Pivot to Positive, which I quickly translated into this icon, PIVOT²(+).   “Even when you are looking in the rearview mirror; you are still facing forward.”

I have put much thought into her mantra over the past few days. Positive is a choice, requiring action, attitude and discipline. Pivot involves flexibility, fluidity and focus. And your vantage point creates the setting for it all to happen.

The Rearview Mirror:

• I need to understand where I have been. I need to assimilate, on a continual basis, the lessons learned. Equally incorporate the kudos earned, the hard-knocks taken, and the celebrations shared.
• I need to have a view of who or what is approaching from behind. Understand who or what is in my blind spot. Anticipate who or what may aggressively attempt to overtake me, possibly run me over.  And on the flip side of this thought, who is following me, observing my journey for direction in their journey.
• The rearview mirror also provides a perspective, an overview of where I have been. This is important when taking inventory, setting forward goals, and designing the next segment of your journey.

The Side view Mirror:

• Equally important, is that your side view mirrors are properly adjusted. Consider what happens if you collide with someone moving alongside you.  Be mindful that there will always be those who are on the same path, reaching for similar goals, possibly competing for the same position.
• Competitors are not necessarily enemies. Competitors can be peers for which you have great respect and affinity.  If they get that position you desired; take the high road, smile and wish them well – and mean it!  They have worked as strongly as you; acknowledging another’s success adds strength to your internal compass.  Trust life.
• You can still see “snip-its” of passed who and what; it’s moving rather quickly into the rearview and yet you are still progressing with positive, forward motion.

The front view:

• We have straight on, protected view of our path, our journey with vantage viewpoint of immediate, near and far distances.
  • Birds, pebbles, debris and torrential rain – driving to work every morning – need I say more?
• We are capable of making instantaneous calculations – adjustments to our goals, direction and even outcomes by the intelligence gathered while en route.
• A clean, clear view is important. Keep your thoughts, feelings, opinions clear of unwarranted influences. You alone protect your mind and heart.  You alone allow influences that surround you; consider the words and actions of those you allow into these circles.
• Vigilance is important. As conditions, situations, and knowledge of surroundings / landscape change; be sure to adjust accordingly.  Just because you were “all that and a bag of chips” in your last 10 roles, doesn’t mean that the same clout will transfer to your new role.  Be prepared to once again earn your badge of honor(s).  Never fear – if you earned it once, twice or 100 times, it’s in you, it’s who you are, and cream always rises to the top! 

Flexibility:

Don’t forget it’s PIVOT – we are like those monitors I mention in the start of my article.  Left, right, up, down, backward, forwards, landscape, and portrait, at an angle or even perfectly squared top to bottom – we are flexible.

The key take away, is be prepared to Pivot to YOUR POSITIVE position. This is a time of great change; that is forging new paths, paths where the Oil, Gas and Energy industry has never gone.  Understanding that some paths are now obsolete, some paths are unchartered, and some paths are yet to be discovered, but they are paths we must follow to move forward.  We have the right tools to take this journey, we have the intelligence to hugely succeed.

I encourage you to take a stretch, limber up and flex that muscle (brain) – move around in your career, your position, and your team and show how flexible you are.  Position yourself to a positive vantage point!  PIVOT²(+).