"Mirrors, sure, but who's looking for reflection?"

This past few days has offered up a jumbled, but connected series of mirrors for me. In some of them, I look distorted; in others my image is quite lovely. And, from all of them, there is learning to receive and assimilate.

A new twist is that some of the mirrors are almost entirely external. For example, I listened to someone else lay out quite plainly the reasons he was going to ask his employer to make a certain decision about his (my friend's) compensation. Chief among them was an acknowledgment of his investment and contribution over the past three years. He pointed out the personal sacrifices he made in the name of helping to build something. The reason he'd been willing to make those kinds of sacrifices and investments was because the talk in the company had been about being a team, pooling assets and liabilities, and doing what needed doing in order to succeed. So, while the undertaking was voluntary, it was based on a hope of pay-off even while it was assumed that hard times would be shared. He talked about his value.

He didn't ask to have all of the past deficit made whole; the company is in no shape to do that at this time. What he did ask was that the enormity and disproportionately large degree of his contribution be a fundamental factor in any decisions made about his compensation now. And, of course, if the company does make good, he stands to benefit in a way that outstrips his early investments. That will not diminish their importance; merely make them that much sweeter.

His boss didn't remember one particular point the way that two other people present did, and didn't quite hit the mark my friend requested, but he came damn close. It was clear that he absolutely did think that my friend's past contributions were relevant to the present. Because, of course, they are.

In listening to him, I suddenly realized how perfectly that parallels something in my own life. In fact, I used it as an example to communicate my point of view. I can only hope that the person to whom I presented my case responds as favorably as my friend's boss did. In both cases, there is fear to be overcome and a needed willingness to look at things from the point of view of the person who is making the request. The good news is that I think that the person I asked is equal to that and more. So, we'll see.

~M


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