Erich Stauffer

Tag: partnerships

  • The Gristmill at Spring Mill State Park

    This is a guest post written by Zac Parsons:

    On June 22, 2009, Erich and I decided to meet in person to do some hiking, planning, and bonding at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, IN.  It was also Erich’s birthday, the second official day of summer, and a beautiful day to be outside.  By the end of the day, we realized that our experience itself was actually interesting enough to write about (and hopefully interesting enough to read).  We decided to write about our accounts separately, to see where our perceptions of the same days events would take us.  What would I write about?  What was meaningful and impactful to him?  Where would we be similar?  Where would we differ?  Erich’s thoughts, (which I have not read, at the time of this writing) can be found here.

    We grabbed a map, and headed out on the trail closest to where we had parked.  As we walked and talked about the future of our business, we crossed a bridge over a muddy river.

    We mused over what could have caused it to become so dirty, and  never really came to a conclusion.  What we did conclude was that in order for the river to become clean again, the dirty water would have to run its course.  If we were to dam up the river, then we would have a dirty lake.  Not much of a solution if we got thirsty (which we were starting to).  It was an interesting object lesson for us on the messes of life that we find ourselves in.  Even when we decide that the water is dirty, we have to let life keep running while we allow the clean water to slowly come back in and take over.

    Continuing on down the trail, and continuing with our conversation, we eventually found ourselves in the middle of an early 19th century village, restored and preserved for visitors like us to observe and explore.  It was a welcome surprise for me, as I just expected trees, rivers, and trails like in the picture above.  There was an old school house, sawmill, leather mill, tavern, pottery shop, and more.  In the middle of it, we came across a huge water wheel next to a three story building.  Erich wondered how long it had been since the wheel was in operation.  Well, we were about to find out.

    httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NgHaWvm86c

    Watching the man slide the cog into the system was fascinating.  Not the physical act itself, but just realization that this huge machine absolutely depended on this small piece in order to function properly, if at all.  The power of the water was being used to grind corn into meal for the rest of the village.  If the little cog broke down, the people wouldn’t starve, but they would have had to work harder for their corn meal.  I immediately applied it to other situations in my life and business where things were not optimal.

    It’s a question that we all have to deal with:  Is there a piece damaged or mission, or is the entire system broken?  Sometimes, we make huge changes in our lives, and we throw out a system that seems to be broken.  Often it is just a cog, or a gear that needs to be tweaked or replaced, and not the whole thing.  You may have heard this being called “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”.  Just because you have identified a problem, does not mean that that problem is systemic.  Look closely at the gears, cogs, pulleys, levers, and tools you use in your life.  Your thoughts, habits, experiences, expectations, beliefs, relationships, attitudes, etc.  Perhaps more attention being paid to just one of these “cogs” count significantly change your system, whether it is your life, or your business.

    Erich and I continued discussing the gristmill as we hiked around the park.  We saw an astronaut memorial, some caves, a graveyard, and got a nice little workout in the process.  My relationship with Erich was good before.  We email constantly, comment on each other’s articles, and speak on the phone.  But, this face to face meeting added a new dimension to our relationship (system), bringing in new pulleys and sinews that connect us.  Everything is a system.  Everything is a balancing act.  Everything has a tipping point.  By the end, we relaxed with some Cherry Coke Zero and let our bodies recuperate.  It’s all a part of the system.

  • Partnerships, Helpful or Hurtful?

    I’m sure that most of us have a certain picture come to mind when the word “partner” is said.  It could have to do with the game of patty cake.  It could have to do with a business endeavor.  It could have to do with an alternative lifestyle.  Maybe you see a man with a cowboy hat saying: “Howdy partner!”

    However many different ways that you see it, it will always involve another person.  Nobody can be a partner by themselves.  One of the cheesiest examples of this is the Lone Ranger and his trusted pal….Tonto.  What particular partnerships come to you mind in the realm of sports?  What about in romantic relationships?  Music?  Business?  Comedy?  Do you mostly envision healthy partnerships where the two together are stronger than they would be apart?  Or do you tend to imagine broken partnerships that didn’t pass the test of time?  You may discover some of your own prejudices towards your own partners by examining these.

    For Growth and Creation

    Great partnerships will typically cause growth for both parties.  There is a clear demarcation of who one was at the beginning of the partnership to who they are in the midst of it, over some amount of time.  Sometimes we are only aware of this subconsiously.  We may not even conciously plan to grow.  We just know that it is worth our time and energy to be a part of something, so we continue to do it.  Partnerships created around a certain task are often to create a solution to a problem, or simply to create something that the individuals could not do apart.  Maybe the clearest illustration of this is the conception of a child by a man and a woman.  Neither could create a child by themselves, but only by both having a common goal and an enjoyable (ahem) task.

    The transfer of knowledge can never happen without two people making an agreement.  One must agree to give, and the other to receive.  Here is something that I saw this week:

    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTrrv-Fe3aM

    If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day.  If you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.  If you throw a man a fish, if he is your partner, he will catch it!

    The risk…

    Of course, partnerships only succeed over time if you count on somebody to do their part.  This means that there is the risk of failure and pain.  So, to avoid this possible pain, just avoid all partnerships!  It’s easy, right?  But, life will be utterly lonely.

    You have made a partnership with every person in your life on some level.  Maybe its just a partnership to be friendly in social situations.  Maybe it is a pledge to take care of another’s physical or emotional needs.  It can be an agreement to avoid each other (like an enemy).  Partnerships are everywhere.

    As you manage your life and the actions of your life, be aware of the partnerships that you have and how you are utilizing them.  Don’t manipulate people, but be a good partner.  Give your partners what they ask for and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need!