Summer Hire Ch. 07

"The same thing works for me in business too. All of us have these preconceptions, structures for how we understand the world. We tend to latch onto 'facts' that agree with our a priori understanding. And we try hard to dismiss anything that threatens our beliefs. That's a dangerous habit. I've seen lots of companies get into trouble because their leaders simply will not acknowledge that the real world isn't what they want it to be.

"So I work very, very hard not to fall into this trap. I'm still not always good at it, but I've mostly learned to recognize when I'm trying to avoid looking at something. I know that's when I've got to force myself to really pay attention, open my eyes wide."

Erik glanced over at Melissa to gauge her reaction. She seemed quiet, looking at the road ahead. He brought his attention back to the road as well, downshifting to negotiate a curve. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, he was glad to see they were almost home. This conversation had turned far more serious than he had expected. It was not often that a woman confronted him, and certainly never this early in a relationship. He admitted to himself that no one had ever nailed him with such painful accuracy. He tried to squash a fearful protectiveness that he felt coiling around his heart. He didn't want to let himself hide.

Up ahead, he saw his mailbox. Downshifting again to turn onto his entry road, he worried about what he had gotten himself into. Shaking his head, he redoubled his efforts to push his fears and worries aside, angrily telling himself, "Bullshit. Whatever comes, I can handle it." He suddenly grinned, "Hell, who knows -- might even be good for me."