Keep Your Head Down? Really?

For whatever reason I have started to end phone conferences and emails to some people with the phrase “Keep Your Head Down”. I have no idea when I started to do this or why. I keep trying to stop but it just keeps fitting the situation no matter what I am writing or saying. It is, a little odd, even for me. For years I have been making fun of a classic local lawyer I have the pleasure of dealing with all the time named Vince Vogler.

For years Vince has been ending conversations with “Get To Work” or “Get back To Work” which tended to be great ways to end conversations. Vince is always good for a long and sometimes funny story normally relating back to the time when people used the word “mimeograph”. Anyway, you always know when your done with Vince because suddenly you hear “get back to work” and you know the call is over. This is handy.

I believe I started saying “keep your head down” meaning “stay out of trouble” or “don’t be noticed” or “stay off the radar screen”. All of this is pretty good advice. In fact it is REALLY good advice. All the time. People can never successfully play “whack a mole” with you if you keep your head down. If you do not stand out or say obnoxious things to people, they often will not have the need to take a shot at you. Obviously when people are shooting at you, “keep your head down” makes even more sense.

I came to realize though that if i was telling someone I needed some work out of them that “keep your head down” was an admonishment like “keep your nose to the grindstone”. Think about that one a little bit. But of course if you are working, your head is down. You are watching. You are also paying attention. Arguably, paying attention is a good thing.

It has also been advice I have heard myself... as a younger man, when i thought I was going to be an average golfer (I never quite made it there) but often when my slice would be the most pronounced or when I was busy watching my ball go into the lake my father in law or a similar figure of importance and sage would say, “keep your head down”. That is good advice. All the time when your swinging.

Like I said, I do not know how I started saying and typing this. It is trite, presumptuous and perhaps even a little...shallow. But until I can break myself of it. Keep you head down. And if you cannot keep your head down.... then get to work.