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Your Support Network Gets You to the Finish Line

Before I ran the Flying Pig marathon, I'd heard a great deal about the race. One of the things that struck me most was what a friend said about running the relay. She said she didn't like to run the final leg of the relay because all she saw was pain and heartbreak. Being that I'm not a front-of-the-pack runner myself, I figured I'd get to see for myself what she was talking about. The other thing I kept hearing about the Flying Pig was how great the crowd support is for this race. What I found was what you see and what you experience is all a matter of perspective.

As my relay friend said, I did see people in pain, stretching out leg cramps and pulled muscles, getting sick on the side of the road, and struggling to make it to the finish line. But they did make it, and I am convinced that the reason they made it was because of their support network. Each support network is unique, and involves many people: spouses, children, parents, friends, and training partners. But the support network I did not expect to see was a support network of caring strangers; people who came out to cheer the runners on and stayed for all 26.2 miles. These kind strangers knew that their support was even more important to the back of the pack than the front.

The people on the side of the road rang cow bells, clapped clappers, and held encouraging signs, and they cheered at the top of their lungs. Kids put out their hands to high-5 the runners. People and churches handed out oranges, candy, and other nutrition to help the runners reach the finish line. There were thousands of people, many of whom didn't know a single runner out there, all showing their support. On this special day at this special event, we were all family…and in it together for the long haul.

One sign in particular caught my eye. The sign read, "You're our inspiration." I shouted out to the man holding the sign, "No my friend, you are ours!" His sign reminded me of one of my all-time favorite books, Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard. The message of this book is all about inspiration, and focuses on three principles:

Worthwhile Work. I heard once that only one out of every three people who begin training for a marathon actually makes it to the starting line. Work is not much different. When training for a marathon, just like your real job, you must believe that the work you're doing is worthwhile, or you won't continue. How many people leave their jobs or change careers because they don't find their work rewarding? It's critical in work, and in athletics, that we help people find the reward and worth of their work, or we will lose them. We need to improve our odds in both areas.

In Control of Achieving the Goal. In work, as in a marathon, we must keep our eyes on the finish line, and be proactive in guiding the course to achieve our goals. If we lose control or get off course, it's much more difficult to finish. Focus, commitment, and dedication drive our success…or our failure.

Cheering Each Other On
Last, but in my opinion, most important, is cheering others on. We often hear that the main reason people leave their employer is that they did not feel appreciated. If we do a better job of cheering others on and showing our support, we can make people feel like the valuable people they are.

Like most things in life, perception is reality. My perception, my reality, of the Flying Pig is simple: while the road to the finish may have been long and hard, those kind, caring strangers made me and many others gave us the inspiration and energy we needed to get to the finish line with a true sense of the worth of our work, the goal we achieved and the power of a great support network who cheered us on for 26.2 miles.

If any of you reading this were part of the cheering section along the course, thank you! Your time, kindness, and energy meant a lot to thousands of runners, including me. As the sign said…you are our inspiration. And in the spirit of inspiration and cheering others on, I urge you to follow their lead and encourage and inspire the people you touch in every aspect of your life. It can make a huge difference.

Abel Associates was founded in 1993, and specializes in public relations, media relations, and crisis media management and training. In 2001, Lauren Abel purchased Creative Consortium. Creative Consortium offers a full complement of marketing communications service, including advertising, marketing, graphic design, market research, and web services.

Both companies are committed to community service as a core value of the companies. As a result, each company works solely with clients that perform community service.

For more information, please visit: www.abelpr.com and www.creative-consortium.com.

 

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