When times are tough

The surest and fastest way to get unstuck is to bring in a different perspective.

A therapist, a coach, a colleague from another team, a mentor who’s been there before, your partner, a friend, a business advisor, a marketing agency, a freelancer.

Make that connection when times are tough.

Actually, make the connection when times are good so that you can leverage it when times are tough.

Seeking locks

You can have some skills, or you can ask what skills are needed.

You can have some needs that you aim to cover with one of your demotivated employees, so that their motivation will be high again. Or you can ask them how they want to be motivated and build a playground for them to go do what they love.

You can have a wonderful idea, or you can see where there is a gap in the market and try to cover that.

You can force people into complying into what you believe will work, or you can ask them what’s their way and ensure they can pursue that.

At the end of day, it’s once again about keys and locks.

Are you a maker of keys or a seeker of locks?

Alert

You always have something to learn.

Even when you are on top of your game, even when you have been around for decades, even when you are the number 1. There is always something more, or something else.

Keep your senses alert. Not because you should not rest or because you should always stress, but because there are still opportunities to learn something new.

And that’s the essence of life.

Tell stories

Tell about yourself with examples.

You are not self-motivated, you have started your own solo business and grown it to 200k ARR.

You are not a team player, you have joined a team and found a way to help your peers get the recognition they deserved.

You are not a marketing professional, you have researched audiences for five companies and found the most effective way to build a connection with their audiences.

Don’t tell about labels, tell stories.

That’s how you are going to win us over.

Note: It’s just as valid for products and services.

The importance of systems

If you are late and cannot find your trousers in the mess you have made of your wardrobe, most likely you will be even more late.

If your pipeline dried up and you need a few more deals to close the year, most likely you will close the year short.

If you have many employees leaving because your culture is toxic, most likely a couple of new benefits will not reverse the trend.

The point is, when shit hits the fan, it’s late to make changes. Not “too late”, because you can still organize your wardrobe before the next appointment, or start building pipeline for the next year. But still late for whatever it is you want to achieve now.

That’s why systems are so important. They support you (and others around you) when things don’t go according to plans.

And things rarely go according to plans.