“The future usually has in store exactly what’s been placed in the store for the future.”
– Parse DeJong
I never met Parse, a Presbyterian minister from Northwest Iowa who made his home in Fond du Lac, WI for many years, but I feel like I know him. I have been blessed to have his son, Jim, as a “big brother” of sorts for almost 15 years. Over the years, Jim has shared with me some of Parse’s wisdom, and it has occasionally made it’s way into the Daily Diff. Last week, Jim sent me about nine pages of notes Parse made — including the quote that opens today’s post. What a gift! From a father to his son, and from his son to one who loves him like a brother.
So, why this quote, today?
This week, the team I am responsible for leading came together, figuratively, collegially and literally. And, we walked out of the door committed to and inspired by the fact that our success will come in direct correlation to how much we learn, and how quickly we learn it.
Continuing education is nothing new for CPA’s and lawyers, and it shouldn’t be any different for any of us, either.
The knowledge we gain, the wisdom we develop and place in the store for the future means that a better future is in store. A learning bias is a powerful thing. It makes for better, deeper relationships. It makes for depth of character. It makes for value — and the ability to translate that value into “rich chocolaty goodness” for the people we serve. Sales professionals, marketing experts, technologists, customer service representatives. The ones we want to deal with are the ones who’ve made a commitment to learning and who help us learn, too.
Over the next few months we’ll train this team. We’ll certify them. We’ll help them get ready for what the future has in store.
The future is all about the learning we accomplish today.
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