As I thought about my blog post this month, sports analogies kept coming to me. I think with all the bad news lately and the fires, I have needed distractions. I have turned to the NBA finals (Go Heat!), a new Netflix series called Playbook (highly recommend), and lively discussions with my athletic son who is competing in North Carolina right now. He would absolutely die if he knew I was writing a newsletter with sports analogies or that I included his picture. Shhh don’t tell!
I have been thinking about what it takes to Play Our “A” Game in our life and business from a recent experience I had making a difficult decision in my own business. The aftermath of that hard choice led me to think about another analogy which I call Next Shot.
For me, Playing my “A” Game this past week was saying no to a very “shiny object” project. It had all the trappings of something very compelling. They needed my unique skill set, the business had great content in both services and product, and had a very interesting founder.
All of that was intriguing, but the new business needed a huge amount of my time over the next thirty days and I had other clients I was serving, plus stewarding my own business.
I got to a no through coaching myself, exactly how I coach others. I asked myself – was this the right placement of my gifts and talents at this particular time?
I also observed the following about the founder and her business:
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We were negotiating a lot right out of the gate and weren’t getting into alignment easily with my contract. I know from experience that the beginning is everything and might be a prelude to lack of clarity or, perhaps, difficulties with other decisions in the future.
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The founder had reported “break downs” with other staff members, which could be a pattern she was not aware of, or taking responsibility for. If this was an embedded pattern, it could potentially have a negative effect on me, later.
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The owner was just weeks from her opening and claimed she didn’t have the right team. It would have been really tempting to be her “knight in shining armor”, but we all know that is a setup, too. I love helping, but there was a reason this felt messy.
When red flags come up in our business dealings we need to pay attention, no matter how “sexy” the opportunity is.
Things I am thinking about as a result, that I want to share…
Empowerment…
Running decisions through the filter of our own good value system is imperative to operating a successful business. In these situations it is also helpful to run your thinking by a close friend (which I did), or a coach who can support you.
So, I said no and it stung, but it was the right thing to do. After my decision, I didn’t want to get stuck with any feelings of disappointment or lack, so I started working on my mindset by saying the mantra Next Shot again and again to myself.
Wisdom…
In life and business we need to keep our eye on the ball, prepare our mindset and take the next shot. It’s very unproductive to get stuck reviewing the last shot again and again in our minds. It’s over and the next shot we want isn’t behind us.
Revenue Tip…
Sometimes the best revenue tip is to pass, even if your business could really use it. If it’s not the right revenue, it simply isn’t worth it. Pass on the wrong revenue opportunity, like I did, and get to work on adding value with your existing customers and focus on the next one that has the potential to be a much better fit.
The wrong revenue can cost you time, money and heartache — not worth it.
With love and in growth,
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