Well Ain’t That Just the Duck’s Posterior!
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[Note from the Proprietor: I might as well warn you now; this is probably the weirdest post I've ever written, even for a What I Learned From... writing project. (Er, to date, that is - let's leave room for improvement, shall we?) Just thought you'd like to know.]
Don’t you just love water? It doesn’t matter what kind it happens to be – ocean, lake, pond, river, stream (even a water-filled pothole will do in a pinch) – there’s an abundance of interestingness around any body of water, don’t you think?
For instance, at our neighborhood lake we have about a couple of dozen ducks. Most of the time they glide about effortlessly in their uniquely ducky way, doing their best to track along with anyone who happens to come close (and who look like they might be willing to cough up, you know, food). Sometimes they’re up on the shore, waddling around in their silly way and making that funny little noise they always make.
The most fun is watching little children though; I suppose they’re more wary of the ducks than the other way around, but still lots of fun to simply observe and enjoy. Our ducks have gotten so used to folks who come by that they hardly even get out of their way anymore.
The other day, as Mrs. MZM and I circled the lake there was this one duck, all by himself (herself? I can tell the difference in some species, but most of our ducks are just… white) busily rooting around the bottom of the shallow lake. However, in the process of doing whatever he was doing, he was also treating those of us above the waterline with a rather, er, interesting view, to say the least.
Here’s the thing. When I saw that, a thought suddenly occurred to me (sound of dull thud): What can one learn from (if you’ll pardon the expression) a duck’s, er, posterior? I don’t know why, but my Muse must’ve thought that sounded a lot like a gauntlet being thrown down (sound of gauntlet being thrown down), and immediately began to compose this post.
One of these days – I’ve gotta get me a new Muse!
But, it’s a slow day in Bloggerville, and I’m not doing much else anyway, so what the hey – here’s what I learned from a duck’s, er, posterior:
- Maintain a laser focus – Whatever else you can say about, er, him (as long as the jury’s still out, let’s go with him for now) that duck was totally focused on, um, whatever the heck ducks are after when they do that (what was he after, anyway? fish? peanut butter sandwiches? gummi bears?) I mean, there was nothin’ keepin’ him from goin’ after it with gusto. Makes a good lesson in goal-seeking, though; he was laser-focused on the task at hand.
- Avoid distractions – In spite of the people, cycles, kids, and occasional dogs wandering by, this duck was not going to be distracted from his purpose. We got within a few feet of him, and he never even gave us a second look; he was totally focused on the task at hand. Do you have a problem with distractions when you’re trying to get work done? Not this guy – he knew what he had to do, and by golly he got to it! (For a great post on the subject, check out this one by Laura Spencer.)
- Keep a big-picture view – One of the reasons he was so comfortable hiding his head for seconds at a time (and incidentally answering that age-old question: how long can a duck hold his breath) was that he knew he had nothing to fear from us. This says to me he knew the “big picture”, had good handle on his “business” and knew what and what not to be worried about. If only we were there with our businesses as well! It’s the sweet spot we should all be aiming for.
Now those were all, shall we say, positive things. But what about things… not so positive? How about these:
- Don’t forget the “small” stuff – Have you ever focused so much on one part of your business (usually the part you’re the expert at) you accidentally ignored something else important (and trust me; it’s all important)? With his head underwater, Mr. Duck was pretty much at the mercy of whatever might be comin’ at him from, er, behind. We can take a lesson from it, though, and make sure we keep our eyes on our whole business.
- Keep a well-ordered house – On a related note, how’s that part of your business most people never see? Are your accounts in order? Internal communication working well? Are your employees (if you have any) getting satisfaction from working with/for you? All those things we prefer our customers not to see – well, to quote Dr. Phil: How’s that working for ya? I mean, you never know when the place where the sun don’t usually shine might suddenly be up there for everyone to see!
(photo credit: Duck, Upended by Martin LaBar)
[Yet another note from the Proprietor: This is my entry for this month's What I Learned From... group writing project. This month we're joining forces once again with the High Callings Blog Community. The topic this month is ANIMALS, and if you've ever learned something from the animal kingdom (and you know you have!), then you're cordially invited to join us! Just click on the "What I Learned From..." link above and read all about it!]
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31 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Robert, gotta tell you, the photo in your post looks R-rated to me. Anyway, you and this duck raise lots of important business issues. Focus is definitely a double-edged sword. You can’t succeed without it, but if you don’t stay alert to changes in your business environment, you can get crushed no matter how focused you are. I worry about that in my business, where business blog consulting is a major part of my practice. There’s always the chance something new will come along to make business blogs obsolete. Though I doubt it, you always have to be thinking about worst-case scenarios. Excellent post!
R-rated, Brad? Well, I guess it could be – if you were a duck!
Yeah, a lot of people are beginning to wonder what the Next Big Thing is going to be. But not to worry, I think what we’re doing now still has a lot of life in it. Luckily, most big changes don’t happen overnight, so generally speaking, we have time to learn new skills.
I think this is proof that powerful life lessons are all around us, if we’ll only open our eyes and take notice!
Thanks for giving credit!
Hey, Martin, I’m just happy to have found such an, um, appropriate photo! Good catch, my friend!
Robert,
I am quite pleased to have learned something about myself from a duck. Way to go!
Howdy, Sally, and welcome to the Zone!
Yep; it’s my contention that you can learn something from literally anything, if you just look at it the right way. Hmmm… might have to post on that soon…
Come back again!
Bob,
You know, that photo could give a whole new meaning to the game of “Duck, Duck, Goose!”
I’m still thinking about writing an entry for this one ranging either from the German Shepherd that would chase rocks thrown through the chain link fence (and thus run full tilt into the fence, repeatedly to a little kid’s amusement) or the infamous cat autopsy I once paid a vet $100 to do in order to prove my Rhodesian Ridgeback innocent of the cat’s murder.
-Sam
Gee, Sam… the choices we’re faced with! Well, since the German Shepherd sound like he’s you know, too stupid to live, why not tell us the fascinatin’ tale of the cat autopsy. Unless you have still another story up your sleeve…
Robert, I often visit the Erie Canal which is not far away and often see ducks do just as you picture here. My thought is that they are extra persevering to get what they want. I sense you do that as well!
Howdy, Robyn! Well, my favorite theory is they’re after gummi bears. They must REALLY like ‘em!
Thanks for dropping by!
Hi Robert
Well, I think this headline would have to qualify for one of Brad Shorr’s headlines that you take notice of, in his recent post on the topic over at WordSell.
Great headline. Great photo. Great story.
Well, thanks, Yvonne! I have to admit, I liked the title too. But as Brad pointed out, some folks don’t really like “cutesy” titles like this. Ah well.
On the other hand, I pretty much write what I write without too much concern for SEO anyway. Besides, what with me being, you know, me, I’d pretty much HAVE to check out an unusual title like this one. So I don’t mind writing ‘em this way, either.
Robert, Yvonne, this headline definitely caught my attention, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of any way to express its genius. Being a regular MZM reader, I’ve come to appreciate the quirky titles to be found here. My post was really geared to headlines with a definite business objective (I guess I should have mentioned that!). Headlines designed for fun? Sounds like a whole other post!
I agree wit’ ya, Brad – your post focused on business titles. And me being, you know, me, I tend to gravitate toward the obtuse, obscure, or just plain whacko.
I am guilty of using fairly straight-laced headlines every now and then, though, just to keep folks guessin’. But it’s hard – my own style is so much more fun!
[...] Well Ain’t That Just the Duck’s Posterior! by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings [...]
That’s what keeps me coming back here– a dose of YOU, Robert. Of course, those quirky headlines get me every time.
Karen Putz / DeafMoms last blog post..What I Learned From… My Dog
You know, Karen – there’s no cure for that!
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What a story, Robert! Smiled all the time when I read it. Thanks a lot for sharing it!
Ulla
Ullas last blog post..Bavaria # 4 Landscapes
[...] the sun shining on a place where the sun doesn’t usually shine? Maybe you should go back and review a couple of lessons learned from a duck I know. Hey, I’m just [...]
You’re welcome, Ulla. Glad to have put a smile on your face – now that puts a smile on mine!
[...] Well Ain’t That Just the Duck’s Posterior! by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings [...]
What great lessons! I better attend to that part of my business that others dont see today. But I wouldnt have thought of it, if it weren’t for you. You continue to write entertainingly AND empoweringly.
Pete Aldins last blog post..Lightsaber Safety Announcement
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Thanks for the compliment, Pete! You’re one of my favorites, too – now how about writing more often, Mate!
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[...] Well, Ain’t That Just the Duck’s Posterior! – An profound set of lessons from perhaps the most usual source of inspiration [...]
I have got to find some water to stick my head in. This blogapalooza is distracting.
@Luke – So my next post might be “What I Learned From, er, Luke’s Posterior”?
Not sure it holds the same je ne se quoi as a duck’s posterior, Luke! (That’s a French expression that means, um, weight.)
Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Sorry.
Brilliant. Love your project, a wise friend said only the other day ‘there is always something that you can learn from another’ in this case even a ducks posterior!
@tam – Thanks for droppin’ by!