(Acknowledgements to Roy Crown, after his talk at the CVM Gathering, 26.06.11).
Pete:
“It happens ‘specially when I’m driving alone on a long journey. I’ll get one of my big ideas. It’ll be something which will solve loads of our problems in one go, or make the work go ballistic. They come from something that’s happened to me in the past or some random thing will spark one off. Sometimes they come from other people who’ve had a similar idea but they don’t seem to see its full potential, or they just can’t be bothered to do anything. I’ll get really fired up about an idea because I can see the potential straight away. I’m good at selling an idea to other people and getting them fired up as well. I just crack on with it. It makes me feel full of energy and I can put loads of hours in—no problem, networking and getting everybody behind it. Sometimes my head’s so full of these things, I think it might burst. It’s difficult keeping so many projects on the boil and new, even better ideas keep coming to me… “
Tim:
“When one of these ‘ideas’ blokes tells me about his latest one, my mind switches onto it straight away. It takes about a second for my head to fill with all the implications that nobody else thinks about. I can see at once the overestimates and underestimates that I already know the’ideas’ bloke’s made. I’ve seen them stumble into the same pitfalls before and I remember all that, where they forget. I can get completely absorbed by all this. It’s mouth-watering. I can put loads of hours in—no problem, usually on my own, beavering away, planning and turning an idea into reality. I don’t like making a song and dance about stuff with other people. I’m just not like these ‘ideas’ blokes…”
Pete:
“… Then I talk to my colleague Tim about it. He doesn’t ever seem to get excited, unlike most other people. He gets this look–his face glazes over. He might manage a, “That’s really good…” But it comes out so flat, you know it’s forced. And it’s usually followed by, “But ‘ang on, what about…” And then it starts—all the things that might go wrong, all the risks, the deadlines and so on and on and on. Trying to listen to Tim’s like watching a dumper trunk pouring out a deluge of facts and figures on top of an idea, so it gets buried. You just get lost in it all…”
Tim:
“…like Pete. On the rare occasions when I get him to stop long enough for a serious conversation, he just doesn’t seem to listen. He’s so excitable. He gets this look—his face glazes over. He doesn’t get how much time and effort there is between just having an idea and actually making it happen. The devil really is in the detail. He gets bored with details. He’s got so many projects on the boil, the work is littered with stuff he’s put on the back burner. Who knows when it’ll come off ? You don’t want to give him any of your own ideas. I’ve tried and two weeks later he’s back selling it to you as one of his…”
Pete:
“…That Tim, he’s so negative. He’s an irritating nitpicker. He kills things off. He pees me off completely. I just can’t understand him.”
Tim:
“…That Pete, he’s an airhead. He’s a superficial thinker. He’s over-optimistic and naive. He pees me off completely. I just can’t understand him.”
Read. John 21, 1-14, about Peter who jumped in and the rest who rowed the catch to shore; and 1 Corinthians 12, 12-26, about body parts who argue with each other.
Pete, the visionary leader who jumps straight in and Tim, the administrative genius, who’s rowing to keep up, desperately need each other. They’re different parts of the body. Working apart, they’re stuffed. Working in the (difficult) unity of The Spirit, trying to understand each other’s gifts and patiently making allowances, they could win the World.
