Tag: process

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Keep Smiling

Root canal.

What visions do those words bring to mind? Pain. Inconvenience. Terror.

I just returned from my twice yearly dental cleaning. When the hygienist asked, “Are you having any discomfort,” and I responded, “Yes, the second tooth from the back on the bottom is really sensitive to cold,” she looked in my mouth and replied, “I can see why, you have three cracks in that tooth.” After she finished cleaning and polishing the other 23, my longtime dentist came in, peered through his über-magnifying glasses, and said, “Well, David, looks like I need to refer you to an endodontist.”

This will be my fifth root canal in the past 24 years. That’s plenty for anyone in a lifetime, yes?

The first one came when I broke my two front teeth in a fall. (Trust me, it wasn’t as painful as it sounds and you wouldn’t know the replacements aren’t real.) The next two – as with this one – were the result of teeth dying. Other than the discomfort from the deadening process, having a root canal is more or less a non-event. Except for the two-weeks of antibiotics to knock out the infection. Except for having to reschedule clients. Except for the anxiety that comes with sitting in that chair under the bright light.

Exceptions. That’s really what success in business is all about when you think about it. You’ve got the regular stuff figured out. That’s being a professional. It’s the things that pop up you’re not expecting that take time, get in the way and distract you. Of course, you wouldn’t be successful, if you didn’t know how to navigate speed bumps and turn detours into opportunities for learning, growth and new direction.

So the next time something appears that steals your focus, take a deep breath, consider your options and complete the steps necessary to get back on track. You’ve been there before and everything worked out. This is just another chance for a crowning improvement.

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Clear Understanding

In 2007, the president of an energy company that engaged me to coach one of their senior executives asked what year we started this business. When I told him 2003, he said, “I believe it takes 10 years to master a craft; you’ve got a ways to go.” At the time I recall thinking he was overstating the education process, or I was far ahead of his learning curve. Now I realize he was right on the mark. I’ve gained more knowledge in the past 18 months about how to best serve clients than I did in the previous six years, let alone the 23 years I spent in other careers.

That’s one reason I spent Memorial Day weekend rewriting our Web site. The first time around in ’03, I created nice prose that sounded pretty good; however, I really didn’t know what I was talking about when it came to explaining the value clients receive from working with us. Three years ago when we updated it the first time, my thoughts were closer to the actual target, although still more style than substance.

I actually committed to this project 13 months ago – and sat down several times to start the process. Yet the words never appeared on my monitor, regardless of how hard I tried to force them… so I set it aside and moved on to things that seemed more urgent. Last week, the inspiration appeared out of nowhere and the words flowed easily from my fingertips.

Three lessons here: 1) If it’s been awhile since your last Web site (or marketing materials) update, you’re likely a lot smarter, so you may want to consider a redux; 2) It takes a decade to become a master, so be patient and keep learning; and, 3) You can’t force things, so when you’re stuck, step aside and ‘wait for it.’

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