The Hunt for Success
The fifth step of the Faremouth Method™ is “Be a Hunter.” I come from a long line of hunters and I smiled as I thought about the White-Wing Dove hunting season we are now entering and how our lives are really about one type of hunt or another. My late husband always looked forward to this season and sharing it with family, friends and clients. There are many lessons we can glean from these hunts that just might offer helpful tips in the New Work World as we deal with Covid-19 and the lessons we can learn for a better future.
Symbolism of the Dove has been recognized among Christian religions as a symbol of strong religious significance as well as a symbol for peace, purity and new beginnings. We are all embracing new beginnings in our relationships and in the world of work. Let’s take a look at what the special lessons might be to help us as we move forward.
Dove Hunting Is a Family Affair
Many hunters of today got their start hunting doves with their Dad. It is a rite of passage for many hunters and is still one of the most challenging yet enjoyable kinds of hunting. It helps bond families and friends, and especially a father and his son. It allows us to deepen those relationships and create meaningful experiences in the outdoors and nature. Doves are by far one of the most challenging birds to hunt. You have to anticipate where the dove will be after the shot is fired. You have to calculate the direction the dove will go, as well as timing and distance, in order for you to make your mark. We all now have to prepare for where we need to “Aim our Careers” in the future. Where we are now might not necessarily be where we will be going forward in the New Work World. During Covid-19, we have more time to devote to strengthening our skills and bonds with our family and friends. It might, in some cases, have to be done virtually, but this Covid experience makes us all stop in our tracks and realize the importance of our personal and work families. We might have to agree to disagree in some cases but the key is to strengthen those relationships and not take them for granted. None of us know how long we will have people in our lives. Covid might be really forcing us to appreciate not only the relationships we do have and make them even better, but also to appreciate the time we have. Life does not give us a guarantee of anything. It is up to us to use our time to create the best relationships possible in both our personal life and our work life.
Leave Places Better Than You Found Them
I remember going to the hunting lease with my family where my late husband was always so concerned about leaving the place clean and even better than how we found it. I think his hunting training to our sons taught them valuable life lessons. If we take those solid lessons to the New Work World, striving to make a valuable contribution to the bottom line, how can we go wrong? In this New Work World, employers want people who can help improve the company and strive to bring new and innovative ideas that will allow all parties to expand and flourish.
Don’t Quit If Things Don’t Work Out the Way You Want
Figure out a way to improve the situation. I recall once going on a hunt with my family and, upon arrival at the trailer in South Texas, there was a bad storm. I felt like I was on the movie set of the Wizard of Oz and the trailer would get swooped up in a funnel of wind and be carried off. Because of the bad storm, we initially thought about going back home but we didn’t quit. Hunting was delayed. While waiting for the storm to clear, we all played cards, board games and the guys cooked up a storm. There were many stories exchanged, ideas tossed about, and problems solved. Because of being stuck in the small trailer, bonds were strengthened and important problems were solved. Our current jobs might have some metaphorical storms now for sure. We can be negative, have a bad attitude and complain, or we can choose to think of ways to make the best of the situation and make our role even stronger and more productive.
Joy Is Found in Community
Dove hunts always involved a bunch of guys being in the outdoors, sharing experiences and cooking good food. The camaraderie that is shared always fosters better relationships. Many business relationships are strengthened on hunts and I think we can accomplish so much more in the work world with a stronger sense of community. Covid has forced us all to realize how important community is, mainly perhaps, because of the isolation and lack of it.
Patience
Hunting is not action packed. Hunting requires patience to wait for that one very precise moment to get what you want. It also requires quiet time, solitude, deliberate thinking and action. As we apply this attitude towards getting what we want in life and career, it requires planning and attention to details. We must also be patient in our quest to find priorities that might be different than before and learn from the hunters about bonding, meaningful relationships, networking, etc. We have to act at that precise moment and not act prematurely or be too late. We have to set goals and chart our progress. Most of all, getting what we want requires patience.
Connecting
Hunting of all types requires connecting with the spirit of what it is you’re hunting. As we hunt for what is needed and what we want in life, career or personal, we must connect with the spirit of that which we seek. In career, we must connect with others who are on our same path or in our same profession. We have to share ideas and desires. We are able to help others as they are able to help us in our pursuits. Perhaps that job of your dreams comes through an associate. Perhaps they have moved on to a different company or industry and find that you might be a good fit to introduce to their new company. Maintain those alliances as you move through jobs, companies, and industries. Some of the best opportunities will come through previous associations with others who know your value and what you can bring to the new experience.
Conflict Resolution
To be a good hunter, hunters have to quickly resolve conflict in the outdoor world. This is such an invaluable quality as we seek employment and career advancement. Conflict resolution is one of the best tools you can have in your backpack, ready at a moment’s notice, to dispel intense situations and create a win-win for all parties concerned. This is especially beneficial to close a deal, improve the bottom line in the corporate world or personally. The art of negotiation is very powerful to make you an invaluable player in the corporate world.
Strength
While hunting might require physical strength, the work world requires a different strength. Here, your strength would be how well you know your job, how well you know the company you work for and its competitors and how that affects your confidence in job performance. Your strength in knowledge will make you an invaluable part of the workforce as you step out above others in knowledge of a product and its performance. Think about the times you have walked into a place of business looking for information before you buy a product. You want a sales person who can readily educate you on all the points of interest to you in making your decision. You can never underestimate your strength by increasing your value through knowledge.
Learning from the Past
Hunters have long been known for gathering around the campfire, sharing stories about hunting or about the one that got away. We can learn valuable lessons from the past by listening to the wisdom of those who have come before. We can learn from their mistakes as we set new goals for progress. Listen intently for the ideas previously put into place which did not work. This is the time now for finding new ways to solve problems and the best way to do this is by listening and learning from the past.
Many employers are now looking for that “Hunter” mentality as they seek employees to fill open positions in their companies. They want employees who will create solutions as we all adjust to the challenges brought about by COVID-19. We are all having to learn how to work more remotely, more independently, and at the same time, work cooperatively. We can still be a part of a team while working independently. We can go much farther by using all of the valuable lessons from hunters and the hunting experience. A hunter works solo while still connecting with others on a joint venture as part of the great hunt. Whether you are hunting doves or you are hunting your own personal dreams, all those same skills apply. Patience and precision are at the top of the list in order to actualize what we want. All in life is a hunt. We have to aim precisely to achieve our goals and we have to have patience in achieving them. Patience is required as we deal with others and value their importance in our life, both in work and personally. Relationships are about the sharing experience.
Hunting for success is a lifelong season! Make your hunt the best by learning important lessons from this hunting season. Be the best hunter you can be!
Mary Ann Faremouth has been a regular contributor to the USA Daily Post since April of 2020.
