All in Entrepreneurship
“It’s not fair.”
Each and every one of us can recount situations where things didn’t go our way, for reasons that, in our minds, were less than equitable.
Not getting that promotion when we had the experience and the achievements. Losing out on that business opportunity when we’d done what the client asked for. Not making that investment when we had the chance (Bitcoin, anyone?).
In my last post, I wrote that, instead of focusing on having more choice, we should focus on having more confidence in our choice.
This is harder than it sounds, of course, as it demands that we do the work to understand our values, our decision criteria and what it is we’re looking for, as we make decisions about the work we do. If we know what we want, then we’ll make better, more confident decisions.
In business environments, surprises are not a good thing, because the main thing we want is predictability.
And the only way we can ensure predictability is for us to do the work necessary. This means both listening and communicating much more than we do, as I discuss in today's episode.
There’s a perception many of us have that what we need is more choice.
It’s a perception that has filtered its way into all aspects of our lives.
When we’re deciding which college to go to, we’ll stack the number we apply to, to give us more options. I personally applied to 8 schools when I was planning on Business School, even though a couple of them I had absolutely no intention of attending, even if I got in. Why did I do that?
We come up with all sorts of projects that we want to get done, goals we want to achieve, but we end up paralyzed by the thought of where and how to begin. We want to do it well and do it right, but in that process of deliberation, we end up doing nothing.
So, as I’ve talked about before, better to just start. But how? And where?
Whether we're selling a product or an idea, we're often faced with situations where our messages simply aren't getting through - that is, we're just not able to communicate effectively.
There are a number of tried and true approaches to improve our chances and today's episode dives into these practical tips and techniques.
Years ago, I was developing a website when someone I worked with asked me what I was doing about SEO. As I explained my thoughts, it became clear that he was less interested (if at all) in the fundamentals of SEO (strong content) than he was in how we could best ‘game’ the system.
I suggested that tricking the Google algorithm wouldn’t be a great strategy, and certainly not one that could be considered long-lasting.
Tribalism is an idea with which I have something of a love/hate relationship.
I mean, it certainly has plenty of value, delivering significant benefits if you happen to be a member. You’re with like-minded individuals who all have the same professed goal. You share a specific set of values. You speak the same language.
Email has become a necessity in today's business environment - and it's brought us plenty of value and efficiency in both our personal and professional lives.
But email can sometimes also be used as a way to avoid real conversations, to sidestep issues or frankly, to not make the effort. In the long run, this has real consequences, as I discuss in today's episode.
Risk is a hard concept to really come to grips with.
I mean, we intuitively understand that everything we do comes with some measure of risk, which we accept as a normal part of everyday life. For example, crossing the street, driving a car, or getting on a flight entails risk, but we don’t generally give it too much (if any) thought.
I’ve always had this problem when it comes to the concept and practice of self-improvement. And that is, that I’m incredibly hard on myself as I’m in the process of achieving my goals.
What I mean by that is that once I’ve set a goal, then I presume myself to be not ‘fully complete’ until that goal has been achieved.
When we're communicating an idea or selling a product, we often think that if we just explain the benefits, people will buy.
When they don't, we lament that they just didn't get it. But maybe we're the ones who didn't get it - because it's not anyone's job to listen, it's our job to make them want to hear us, as I discuss in today's podcast.
We’re only 3 days into 2022 and you’ve probably already been inundated with all sorts of advice about your resolutions, what you should focus on in this year and how to get there.
I don’t want to repeat any of that, but what I can offer one simple piece of advice, especially for the resolution-weary.
Well, it’s the end of another year and, for many of us, it’s that time when we reflect on the year just past and, more importantly, what we’d like to achieve in the one coming up.
I’ve been doing exactly that - considering all of the different goals I’d like to achieve and assessing what it will take to achieve them. This analysis - while hopeful in its intent - also brings up the inevitable:
In the last episode, I talked about how everyone has a platform and how that can be a good thing.
But having a platform isn't for everyone, as it comes with a set of responsibilities around what we say and how we say it. Today's show speaks to some of what I believe are the ground rules for establishing your own platform.
The thing about progress is that it isn’t always exciting.
It’s gradual, incremental and consistent in its progression. That doesn’t mean it’s constant, of course. There will be backs and forths, one step back every now and then, but the overall movement is forwards. Step by step, as the gains compound and we find ourselves closer to our goals.
At first blush, it seems counterintuitive but achieving a Greater Good for a particular group requires a measure of selfishness amongst the members of that group.
But when you really think about it, there’s a sound logic to that idea.
It’s easy to lose our sense of playfulness. In fact, at some point in our adult lives, so many of us do. We don’t realize it in the process. We really only figure it out well after the fact (if at all).
We tend to put it down to ‘growing up’, to becoming an adult. Just a normal part of life, because life is serious business, and only kids can afford the luxury of play.
Many of us believe we have a message to share, in one domain or another, and many of us long to actually share it.
Today's episode speaks to the fact that we all now have a platform to say, write and otherwise communicate, anything we want. But wanting to and doing so are two different things, and the discussion today focuses on that inner dialogue.
Getting advice is important.
From a young age, we’re taught (or at least should be) that it’s OK to ask for help, that we don’t have to figure out everything on our own, and that there are others who’ve tread our path before. So it’s not a weakness to reach out and ask for guidance. It is, in fact, a strength. I wholeheartedly agree with that.
At the same time, not all advice is equal and it’s well worth remembering a few basic things.
