Tag: failure

Two failures

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Let me know if I can help.

Of course, this is not really establishing a relationship in which one is going to help the other. It is more of a mantra we repeat to be nice, or because we are in a position in which we are expected to help yet we have absolutely no idea how to do that (nor we want to bother figuring that out by ourselves).

In fact, it is not surprising that when an actual request follows, the person originally offering help often fails to give just that. Not because they are mean, simply because they did not intend to help in the first place. Perhaps they are busy, incompetent, unfit, disorganized, sick, committed (to something or someone else).

Let me know if I can help and the subsequent failure to help on a concrete request are two of the major failures of managers in organisations nowadays.

They are perfect, because they work wonders both in case you are one of those managers who believe it is not your job to serve – I am the boss, I can’t bother, and in case you are one of those modern managers that are all for freedom and flatness – I am very hands off, I am giving your freedom.

Next time try: Here is what I am going to do.

Figuring out what’s to be done is a job for you to complete before showing up in the conversation.

Illuminating

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Often we keep things for ourselves because we believe they are trivial, unimportant, shallow, taken for granted. And so, we only speak when we believe we have the big insight, the great idea, the breakthrough.

This makes our working places fairly quiet.

Of course, we talk a lot with our colleagues, during coffee breaks and in open spaces, waiting for a meeting to start or as we queue at the canteen. But when the spotlight is lit on an issue, a project, a plan we refrain from speaking our mind unless we feel completely comfortable what we are going to say is flawless and smart (spoiler alert: it very rarely is!).

When the chance arises, be brave and voice your concerns. Tell about that thing they have probably thought about already, that check they have certainly done already, that scenario they most likely have considered already.

What’s trivial for yourself can be illuminating for others. That’s the nature of humans and their minds.

Responsibilities

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As marketers, we have a responsibility towards our organisation and our customers. We want to establish a relationship that is meaningful and valuable for both sides, possibly one that lasts. And to do so, we often seek our audience in different channels, and eventually double down on the one(s) that proves to be better.

As human beings, though, we also have a responsibility towards our community. We want to contribute positively to it, possibly leaving it in a better state than when we first joined. There are different ways to do that, each one chooses those they are more comfortable with. But more often than not, we choose to participate, as pretending not to care and living on our own would feel quite alienating.

One can juggle the two responsibilities quite easily most of the time, perhaps even trying to build a narrative that makes the two outcomes match.

But it also happens that wanting to establish a meaningful relationship with an audience and positively contributing to the community become forces pulling in opposite directions. Think about pouring money into a channel that harms your community, that covers itself in good intentions, and that continues harming your community while increasing their profits.

When this happen, which of the two responsibilities should prevail?

The only way

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With the amount of possibilities out there, with all the options one has to learn new things and reinvent themselves, it is very easy to get stuck.

It is the feeling of never being enough, the search for perfection, the impression to always need something more before actually getting going.

It is resistance.

Sit down instead and do the work. You’ll get better at it with time, better also at judging what to adjust, in which direction to progress, what else to learn, who to listen to. Doing the work is the only way.

The benefits of one day

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When you deviate from your path to take a shortcut, you must be aware that you are probably going to waste twice the energy. Merely because the demotivation deriving from the realization that the shortcut is not working (it very rarely does) is going to throw you a long way back from the starting point.

Most things that matter require time and dedication.

Wanting to get there faster is natural, but the time we make and take to actually achieve what we set out to achieve is precious.

It prepares us for the outcome, it makes us stronger, it builds resilience, and often it gives us the opportunity to understand if the pin we are moving towards is the real destination we have envisioned and hoped for. It trains us.

If students expend one day’s effort, they will reap the benefits of one day. After many days and months one will naturally reach the goal.

Yang Ch’eng Fu