A Pull of the Oars

I took this shot of a lone rower this week on the Strawberry Mansion Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. It was a blustery morning and I was struck by this guy out on the river, pulling and stroking along. Alone. Which made me think about the kind of people who are willing to get out there every day, and not only do what’s necessary, but who are willing to put in the hours of quiet determination. It’s exactly the kind of person we would love to have as an employee. Not every action has to be in front of people, not every pull of the oars has to be applauded.

Where is “determined effort” and “quiet achievement” on the performance evaluation form?

(About this photograph: Charlie and I were biking across the bridge when he spotted the single skull pulling upriver. He rolled to a spot on the bridge and said, “That guy is going to row directly beneath us. That would make a cool picture.” This photo is the result – a collaborative effort. It’s not cropped or rotated. Did I mention that Charlie’s pretty good at math? He obviously paid attention in calculus and trig.)

About the Author

Frank Roche

Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.

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