A NEW Perspective

By Troy Tait

In July, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in a strategic planning meeting for Med One held in Banff, Canada. This involved the members of our Senior Leadership team and provided an opportunity to discuss the current and future status on Med One and our position in the market. For me, it was a chance to give serious personal reflection on my role with the company and what changes I could make to be better as a steward of my responsibilities. There were many topics of discussion, and each led to valuable and healthy conversations.

While participating in the actual meeting was very productive and helpful, the most important lesson I learned came at the most unusual time. At the conclusion of our last day, a small group of us decided to have dinner at a small restaurant in Canmore— which is located on the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. As we sat there enjoying the amazing scenery and some really good food, we got into a conversation with our server. She was from Canmore, and it was very interesting to hear her thoughts on the area.

During our conversation, we told her we were from Utah. Her face lit up and she was so excited to talk about our hometown. She is an avid climber and proceeded to tell us how great Utah is. As she was going through the list of all the great places in Utah that she visited, she paused and said it was probably one of the most scenic and amazing places she has been. The more she talked the more I wanted to visit all the places she mentioned. When she finished, we all looked at each other in disbelief. We were sitting in a place—at the base of an amazing mountain, with amazing views all around us—and she was basically telling us our area was just as amazing.

As we flew back and started to drive home from the airport, I looked at “our” mountains a little differently. I realized that they really are just as amazing as the mountains in Canmore— in fact, I did a little research and found out they are higher— something I didn’t think while I was in Canada and probably something I should have already known.

So, what was the lesson I learned that night from our server? Don’t get complacent with your surroundings or take things for granted. In business, I think there are times when we think things might be better somewhere else or that other’s might be more successful because their company does this or that. It is easy to get caught up in the comfort of something we know or see every day.

Our home office in Sandy, sits at the base of one of the most amazing mountain ranges in the world. I drive by and in these mountains every day, but now, I see them a little differently. The same can be true about our efforts at work. Whether we have been with a company for 30 years or 30 days, we shouldn’t be complacent and look past all the things that make the organization great. I understand things aren’t always perfect, but just as I learned that night in Canmore, they are usually just as good, if not better that what you think they might be. If you don’t believe, just ask someone from the “outside” and get a different perspective.