As a young man, I had always hoped and dreamed of becoming a major league baseball player. My dream remained intact until late the summer between my junior and senior years in college. That's when I hurt my pitching (left) arm and decided I'd better look elsewhere for a career.

It's been said that left handed people use the right side of their brain, so does that must mean we are the only people in our right mind?

Anyway, my career pursuits since my college days have been a well-wrong path, with more turns and twists than a pretzel. After college, I graduated from Air Force Officer Candidates School and began to think seriously about making the Air Force my career. Unfortunately, my career was sidetracked by a plane crash in 1970. As the bumper sticker states, "Stuff" happens."

The years immediately after the crash and my medical retirement from the Air Force were filled with equal amounts of doubt, anxiety and frustration. Along with trying to define my purpose in life, I faced a myriad of challenges in my search for a comfortable, meaningful and rewarding career. I changed jobs several times over the next 18 years, searching for a culture which was rewarding and challenged me to exceed my expectations. A few organizations succeeded; unfortunately, many did not!

Here are a few of my life's lessons learned on my Continuous Incremental Improvement journey or Kaizen. Kaizen is the Japanese term for "Continuous Incremental Improvement."

Lesson 1. PREPARE FOR THE WORST: Continually and objectively assess your strengths and challenges (weaknesses) and prepare contingency plans for anything that may have a devastating impact, even if it isn't imminent. Assess your strengths and challenges and benchmark the competition. Always try to anticipate change. When organizations merge, you'd be a blithering idiot to think things won't change and affect you. Remember, the desire to really change begins with an honest and objective desire to change yourself.

LESON 2. HUMOR WILL GET YOU THROUGH ANYTHING. Keep a journal of your daily or weekly activities. Writing in a journal can serve as a form of therapy. Who knows, someday you just may turn it into a book. Ask yourself, "Hey, what's the worst thing that can happen here?" Believe me, you ain't seen nothing yet! Learn to laugh at your foibles; a sense of humor is not only healthy but it adds to your charisma and leadership attributes. I enjoy people who have a sense of humor and seek them out; I ignore those who constantly gripe about life giving them lemons and that "someone" owes them.

A fellow patient and friend with whom I spent over a year in the Burn Ward at Ft. Sam Houston Texas, was shot down in Vietnam and literally lost his face; it was burned away. During one of our many visits while he lay in a silicone, floating bed, I asked, "Chuck, do you want a straw to drink your 7-Up?"

"Here I am like a large mouth bass and you ask me if I want a straw?"

If my friend Chuck found humor in his appearance, I know you can find humor in your walk through life.

LESSON 3: WHO YOU KNOW IS STILL MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU KNOW. You must possess a certain level of knowledge, skill and ability. Without that, few opportunities for advancement and success are available. Yes, I know all about the "Peter Principle," to wit: "Promoting a person to the next highest level of incompetency." It exists, deal with it! I found myself in some "difficulty" once. The "political" conflicts began when I was accused of ignoring the chain of command when the organization was trying to jump-start the Total Quality Management (TQM)…or was it TQLS - Total Quality Lip Service? You see, I am still a bit confused.

Organization culture is like quality - "you know it when you see it, feel it, sense it." A negative culture can, and has, soured many people on corporate life, academic, life, "whatever" life. the old adage, "If your boss is doing well, you generally do well," is probably still true. So too is the saying, "if your boss isn't doing well, you're probably in trouble."

LESSON 4; DON'T GET PIGEON HOLED: Continually assess your personal and professional vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Know who you are and where you're headed, how you'll get there and know when you have arrived. It's a continuous process. Kaizen!

LESSON 5: GIVE AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE: There have been occasions when I waived my speaking fee and performed "pro bono." There are organizations that do not have the budget to reimburse me for my expenses and my fee. However, I've never concerned myself with the financial rewards of addressing a group. My rewards are the friendships cultivated, the opportunity to add more purpose, quality and value to my life and the hugs I receive.

I always try to trust at the 8. 9, or 10 level instead of the 3, 4, or 5 level. If a relationship or engagement doesn't work, then I know it's not because I didn't try; it wasn't meant to work out. If I want an 8, 9, or 10 in return, I better be prepared to receive what I put into the relationship. When you trust at the 5 level or less, what you receive is a 5 or less.

Now, I'm not Mother Teresa, but part of my strategy is that any payoff will come later in the form of new friends and additional opportunities to address conferences and seminars. I'm quite comfortable and my security depends on who I am, how I conduct myself, and my performance. That is my responsibility and no one else's.

LESSON 6: OPPORTUNITIES COME IN THE STRANGEST PLACES. Several years ago, while on a plane, I struck up a conversation with a flight attendant. During our conversation, I learned he knew the person responsible for scheduling speakers for an organization in which the person was employed. We exchanged professional information and, as a result, I was invited to address the Home Builders Association of Chicago.

In 1989, while speaking at conferences in New Jersey and Oklahoma, I met Jimmy Curran and Larry Smith, respectively. They have become two of my best friends and mentors. Larry and Jimmy shared my name with others and as a result, my invitations increased as my personal and professional network expanded. Always carry a business card or other type of material that tell others who you are, what you do and how to contact you.

Before I remarried, I did counted cross-stitch. It was excellent therapy and challenged me to get in touch with my creativity or feminine side. In several occasions, while sitting in an airport terminal or on the plane, I reached into my brief case and withdrew my needle, thread and pattern instead of the Wall Street Journal or other reading material.

I am still amazed by the number of women who, when seeing me work on my pattern, commented on my "creativity." I often replied, "If it's good enough for Rosie Greer, then it's good enough for me." Often, the woman would sit next to me and a conversation would ensue. Eventually, a number of the women would get the courage ask me about my burns and the absence of a left hand. When I explained that I was the sole survivor of a plane crash and then explained the events in detail, our conversation became more animated and "interesting." As a result, I seldom departed without a name and phone number. Yes, "opportunities' really do occur in the strangest places and when least expected.

George Burk
www.georgeburk.com

INSPIRING MESSAGES FROM GEORGE BURK:

MEET GEORGE BURK

FAITH, POSITIVE THOUGHT, & PRAYER

HOW MY LIFE EXPERIENCES SHAPED MY LIFE

Author: "The Bridge Never Crossed - A Survivor's Search for Meaning" ISBN 1-888725-16-8

Order from the publisher via a link at Mr. Burk's web site, or from www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.

George Burk is a plane crash and burn survivor, motivational speaker, trainer and author. He can be reached at www.georgeburk.com or 800-769-8568.

"If you think you can or think you can't, you're right."
Henry Ford