Glue guys
Last week, I interviewed a candidate for my company in the tech pub division. When I was done with my questions, he asked me what I did. I described the many hats that I wear here (at a small company, everyone has to multitask in some way, but I have to cover more areas than average) - release manager, test engineer, liaison between the test team, the support team and the management team, etc... and he said, "Ah, so you're a glue guy."
The more that I think about it, the more I realize that this is a role that I aspire to and generally conform to in many areas of my life, including my professional one. Glue guys are basically the members of a team that you can call on to do whatever it takes to win a game - sealing in the gaps to solidify the overall result. They generally are good in a lot of areas but not spectacular in any, and are willing to step up wherever they can be used. In particular, perhaps their greatest gift is being an enabler for other people to do better than they usually do.
In basketball, a glue guy might be the second or third offensive option making the extra pass, rewarding teammates for hustling, hitting open shots, and playing smart position defense. In a company, a glue guy might be the one who can help decipher other people's issues, keep tabs on the larger picture of what's being worked on in relation to the goal, and encourage team members to not get discouraged. In a ministry, there are many opportunities to be glue - praying in the background, setting up and cleaning up, giving rides, and basically trying to serve people.
I've always kind of identified with people I see filling these roles... the Shane Battiers and Brent Barrys playing off the ball, the rhythm guitarist in a band setting the foundation for others to riff of of, even the understated loyal movie character who might not have top billing on the marquee, beat the bad guy, or get the girl, but instead does what he does well and perhaps sacrifices something in the process...
I think that my personality and my gifts are generally well-suited for this sort of role because a) I don't like the spotlight and b) I have skills and knowledge in several areas that I'm involved in, but not really mind-blowingly awesome talent. I'm not a brilliant programmer or network administrator, I'm not an unstoppable scorer or ballhandling wizard, and I'm not an extraordinarily gifted lay minister in the church... but God's placed me in places and situations where I can be a help to people who are extraordinarily talented, in order for them to excel. It also helps to keep me humble because it affords me more opportunity to stop looking at myself and my performance, and instead to take enjoyment in the success of others, knowing that perhaps I played some small role in that.
As I continue to explore my gifts, interests and talents in professional and spiritual realms, here's hoping that God will continue to grant me the ability and the willingness to serve others so that they can draw nearer to Him - filling in those gaps so that they might have something to stand on.
Last week, I interviewed a candidate for my company in the tech pub division. When I was done with my questions, he asked me what I did. I described the many hats that I wear here (at a small company, everyone has to multitask in some way, but I have to cover more areas than average) - release manager, test engineer, liaison between the test team, the support team and the management team, etc... and he said, "Ah, so you're a glue guy."
The more that I think about it, the more I realize that this is a role that I aspire to and generally conform to in many areas of my life, including my professional one. Glue guys are basically the members of a team that you can call on to do whatever it takes to win a game - sealing in the gaps to solidify the overall result. They generally are good in a lot of areas but not spectacular in any, and are willing to step up wherever they can be used. In particular, perhaps their greatest gift is being an enabler for other people to do better than they usually do.
In basketball, a glue guy might be the second or third offensive option making the extra pass, rewarding teammates for hustling, hitting open shots, and playing smart position defense. In a company, a glue guy might be the one who can help decipher other people's issues, keep tabs on the larger picture of what's being worked on in relation to the goal, and encourage team members to not get discouraged. In a ministry, there are many opportunities to be glue - praying in the background, setting up and cleaning up, giving rides, and basically trying to serve people.
I've always kind of identified with people I see filling these roles... the Shane Battiers and Brent Barrys playing off the ball, the rhythm guitarist in a band setting the foundation for others to riff of of, even the understated loyal movie character who might not have top billing on the marquee, beat the bad guy, or get the girl, but instead does what he does well and perhaps sacrifices something in the process...
I think that my personality and my gifts are generally well-suited for this sort of role because a) I don't like the spotlight and b) I have skills and knowledge in several areas that I'm involved in, but not really mind-blowingly awesome talent. I'm not a brilliant programmer or network administrator, I'm not an unstoppable scorer or ballhandling wizard, and I'm not an extraordinarily gifted lay minister in the church... but God's placed me in places and situations where I can be a help to people who are extraordinarily talented, in order for them to excel. It also helps to keep me humble because it affords me more opportunity to stop looking at myself and my performance, and instead to take enjoyment in the success of others, knowing that perhaps I played some small role in that.
As I continue to explore my gifts, interests and talents in professional and spiritual realms, here's hoping that God will continue to grant me the ability and the willingness to serve others so that they can draw nearer to Him - filling in those gaps so that they might have something to stand on.
posted by Bob at
12:18 AM
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