38.6 -> 54: financial argument with colleague

[compass]

Hi,

It continues to amaze me how the I Ching focuses right in on the answer whenever I cast.

I volunteer with a youth organization and on & off for the past few months I have been engaged in a debate with a colleague over our group's finances: how they're spent, how much is available, how much we charge the children & their parents for taking part in the activities we organize, etc.

My colleague is an ideas man, glosses over details, great on 'we can do this, we can do that', whereas I'm more detail-oriented. So we often bump heads when I try to pin him down on details and how much things are actually going to cost. Quite often our debates are in group emails, so that the rest of the adult volunteers are aware of our heated discussions, so that everyone stays informed. Neither my colleague nor I is the head of the organization; we just each have our respective roles, though mine is a bit supervisory of his activities at times.

So I asked the I Ching for some advice on how to deal with my colleague, and I got 38.6 -> 54, which definitely speaks to our irreducible differences. I think it's saying I should continue in my role, but the situation is not as adversarial as I may fear? And that things will work themselves out?

What do you think?

Thanks,
Compass

 

[rosada]

38.6 certainly seems to advise that you remember you are both on the same team. 54 may be describing that neither one of you are in a powerful position - perhaps this could be seen as a reference that you must subordinate your wishes to the realities of the finances. Maybe the suggestion here is that you pepper your comments to him with references to how you are working together on this ("Great idea!" "I like the way you think!") and if you must disagree let it be the budget, not you, who is being the bad guy ("Sounds like fun! Will the budget let us do that?")

 

[Juliah]

Hi Compass,

I would add to the above that the current situation is a natural one when working in a team where each participant performs his duties and has his role. You mentioned that yours "is a bit supervisory of his activities at times" which presumes going into details. You both deal with the same matter, and in 38.6 I see that too frequent debates, corresponding, perhaps, persisting in your points - too many words shut out the real state of things which is not bad at all.